Something's Gotta Give
by GhostWhispererJimel
Summary: What if Brooke had gotten pregnant in season 1? How would that change things? Would Lucas and Brooke get back together? Would Peyton be pushed out of the picture? Brooke and Lucas both learn to grow up as they journey into parenthood.
1. 0 to 15 weeks

**Author's note: This is my first Brucas story, and honestly, I'm not sure why I wrote this in the first place. I've always wanted to know what OTH would have been like if Brooke really did get pregnant in high school, so I guess I'm writing this more for Brooke and not so much for Lucas. Unlike the other stories I write, I have NO idea where I want to take this story. So, just bear with me. I hope you enjoy this story... wherever it is this story goes. **

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><p>Brooke stepped out of her car, scared out of her mind, when she saw Lucas sitting on the rivercourt that night. She took slow, hesitant steps in his direction, trying to stop herself from crying. She looked at him and tried to find the words to come out of her mouth.<p>

"I need to talk to you."

"Okay..." He faltered, not knowing what was wrong.

"I spent the entire night, trying to avoid this or ignore it. But I can't, so I'm just gonna say it."

"Brooke, what's up?" He asked, terrified about what he might hear next.

"...I think I'm pregnant." She whispered. Lucas shot up and the rivercourt fell silent.

"What do you mean... 'you think'?" He asked, his voice shaking.

"I mean, I'm late. Like... late." She said, starting to cry.

"D-d-did you take a test?" He stuttered. Brooke shook her head vigorously. "Okay... Okay, um..." Lucas stood up and walked over to Brooke. "Look... we have to know. Okay, maybe... maybe it's just a false alarm... Come on... Drug store's still open... We'll do it together. Okay?" Brooke shook her head. She was terrified. Just as terrified as Lucas was.

;

;

She stepped out of the bathroom, pregnancy test in hand, but was too afraid to look. She pointed it in Lucas's direction, hoping he would say it so she wouldn't have to see for herself. He spoke in a low voice. "It's positive." She stood there frozen, and so did Lucas.

"Oh, my god." Her voice quivered. She placed her hand against her mouth and sat down next to Lucas on the bed. Lucas cried with Brooke. "I'm pregnant...!" Lucas placed his arm around Brooke to console her. She stood up in disgust, still burning with hatred for Lucas. He went after her.

"Oh, come on!... I know you're still mad at me, okay, but... I'm here for you. Alright, we'll go to the doctor tomorrow, in the city... I'll take you."

"I'll take myself." She snapped.

"Brooke... I'm just as scared as you are, okay. But I wanna help... please." His voice got quieter and quieter. "Just... trust me..."

"Yeah, 'cuz that worked out so well for me the last time." She hissed. She grabbed her jacket and walked out the door with nothing more to say.

;

;

Brooke fast-walked out of the clinic and walked directly past Lucas who was waiting for her outside. "So what happened?" He chased after her.

"The nurse said they'd call me in a few hours with the results and then she asked me about the father."

"What'd you say?"

"I told her the sorry Bro-Hoe kicked my ass to the curb." She walked away, unhinged and bolted straight for her car.

;

;

Brooke walked off in a hurry, trying to avoid Lucas who was right behind her.

"Brooke, hold up!" He shouted, trying to get her attention. "Still no news?" They kept walking.

"Did I come find you?" She sneered.

"Well, where are you going?"

"Away... from you." She deadpanned.

"Hey, come on. You can't cut me out of this! I'm just as worried as you are."

"Oh, really?" She finally turned to Lucas. "Or are you just worried that having a kid might deflate your market value?"

"That's not it." He scoffed.

"Oh, that's right, you're not on the market anymore. You're a one woman kind of guy. Speaking of which, how is my former best friend?"

"Peyton has nothing to do with this, okay!"

"Not yet... Maybe you could pull a Dan Scott and knock her up too!"

"Brooke!" He was angry now.

"And maybe then you can move on to random bar sluts, oh wait, you've done that. Better be careful Danny Junior, you never know how many kids you're gonna end up with."

"Oh yeah, that's real nice, Brooke. And by the way, it's not like I'm the only guy you've ever slept with." He got in her face.

"What's your point?" She pushed back.

"How do I even know it's mine?" He threw that comment in her face. And while he knew it was wrong, he didn't feel guilty saying it. Brooke glared at him as she picked up her phone that was going off.

"It's the doctor." She said, turning away from Lucas. "Hello?... Yeah, this is Brooke...Okay... Thank you." She ended the call and glared back at Lucas. "Trust me, it's yours." She turned around and got in her car before Lucas could respond. She gave him a cold look before driving off, leaving Lucas standing alone.

;

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Lucas spent that entire week trying to get back into Brooke's life, and although it killed her to do so, she spent the entire week shutting him out. Brooke felt so alone, while Lucas felt so helpless. The only people that knew where Karen and Jake, and even that was too many at the time, it seemed. Days went by, then weeks... Brooke spent that entire time alone, wishing there was something she could do to make it all go away. By the end of the first semester, she was already fifteen weeks pregnant. She had an appointment that week and finally decided to talk to Lucas. She picked up her phone and called him. He was shocked to see her name appear on his phone after all this time.

"Brooke, are you okay? I-Is the baby okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She whispered. She took a long moment to say anything else. "_We're _fine... I, uh, I had an appointment today..."

"Yeah...?" Lucas was a little surprised that Brooke was going to him all of a sudden.

"The baby's healthy." Brooke chuckled, tears forming in her eyes. "The doctor said that... by my next appointment, he could tell me the sex of the baby. And then maybe... I could pick names."

"You... You're gonna keep the baby?" He asked, shocked that Brooke was taking responsibility.

"Yeah... Yeah, I think so." Brooke sniffled. "Listen, I... I know that I've... kinda been a bitch to you lately, but... you hurt me. You hurt me really bad..."

"I know. I know, and if you give me the chance, I'd- I'd never do it again."

"I wanna believe that... I do... Lucas, do you believe me when I tell you that this is your baby?"

"Absolutely... I-I'm sorry about what I said, I-I didn't mean it."

"I know... I just... I'm scared right now and... and I need to know that if I take a chance on you, you're not going to hurt me again."

"I won't. I won't, I wouldn't dream of it. I... I wanna own up to this, Brooke, I do. Please... please take a chance on me." Brooke was silent for a minute. "Brooke?"

"Okay, but... but first you need to do something for me."

"Anything?"

"...Let me inside?" Lucas raised his eyebrow, not sure what she meant. He turned around and opened the door in his room that led outside. Brooke stood in his doorway, snowing falling down hard. Her eyes were puffy and she held herself tightly to keep warm. "Hi..." Lucas grabbed her elbow and led her inside.

"How long were you out there?"

"About an hour... I just... I needed to make sure I could... get up the courage to talk to you." Lucas watched Brooke hold her stomach. She wasn't showing by a lot, but you could see it through her heavy coat. Lucas bit his lip.

"Can I?" Brooke nodded and grabbed Lucas's arm. She placed his palm against her baby bump and he smiled. "Oh my god..." He whispered.

"It's magical, right?"

"It is..." He looked up at Brooke and stared into her eyes. "Brooke... I'm sor-" Brooke grabbed Lucas's forearms and pushed her lips against his, silencing what she knew he was about to say. She released the kiss and looked at Lucas.

"I want this, Luke... I do...And I need you... _we_ need you."

"And I'm gonna be here, Brooke... I promise." Lucas pulled her closer and kissed her lips again, placing his hands against her stomach. "Come to bed?" He asked, realeasing their kiss.

Brooke nodded. "Absolutely."

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><p><strong>Author's note: Okay, I'm not even a Brucas fan, and <em>I <em>thought that was cute. If you are a Brucas lover and didn't find that adorable, you have no soul! XD Anyway, I hope you want to see this story progress, because if you do, I'll keep it going... tell me what you think! Review!**


	2. 15 weeks

**Author's note: I'm going to be honest... the only reason I continued this story is because when I update my other stories I'm lucky if I get two reviews in one day... I got almost 10 reviews in the matter of 12 hours. That really means a lot to me. And although I despise BL, making stories that make my readers happy is what I want. Because I'm unbiased, I can write stories with premises like this. And if this is what you want to read, then I'll give it to you. Rest assured, I will be continuing my season 9 story. That story makes me SO unbelievably happy when I write it. Any time I'm having a bad day, I can write that story and it makes me so happy. I'm never giving up on that story, even if no one reads it anymore. To know that my words are written down makes all the difference in the world. However, to have people that are so thrilled by my stories makes me just as happy. So I'm continuing this story as well. I really hope you enjoy it. :) Here's chapter 2 of Something's Gotta Give.**

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><p>Brooke slept on Lucas's bed on top of the covers. They laid there that entire night, and didn't even really sleep. They spent the entire night talking. Talking about what they wanted and what they didn't want. Brooke finally crashed as the sun came up and Lucas took that as initiative to go on his computer and look up everything there is to know about babies and pregnancy. He felt so stupid. Sometimes he felt like the smartest person in school, but that was only because he was book smart. As soon as he heard Brooke was pregnant, he realized he didn't know anything about real life and what to do when it hits you in the face. Some of the things he learned amazed him, and some of the things scared him more than he ever thought possible. He had been staring at the computer screen for a good three hours, learning anything he could. He heard a gentle knock at his door and turned to see his Uncle Keith peer his head in.<p>

"Luke..." He spotted Brooke sleeping on Lucas's bed. "Can I talk to you a minute?"

Lucas nodded. "Sure." He stepped out of the room with Keith and they went into the kitchen. Karen was sitting at the kitchen table waiting for them. "Uh... this an intervention?" He asked, trying to make a joke.

"Sit down, Luke." Keith said, pulling up a chair. Lucas did as he was asked.

"Okay." He said, swallowing hard. He was almost certain he knew what they were about to say to him.

"Your mom told me about Brooke." He deadpanned.

"Right... Look, I-I should've been the one to tell you about that Keith, I just... I was scared."

"I know. Back when it happened with your mom, I was scared too. Dan was scared... but more importantly... your mom was scared. And so is Brooke."

"I know and... I'm trying to make things better now."

"Well you can't fix what went wrong Luke. You just have to make the best out of this situation." Keith sat down next to Lucas. "What does Brooke want to do?"

"She says she wants to keep the baby."

"Is she sure?" Karen jumped in.

"I don't know. You know, neither of us really knows what the outcomes are going to be like. I just really wish there was someone that could tell us what to do."

"No one can tell you that Lucas." Karen pushed her chair closer to his. "What do you want to do?"

"I wish that this could have never happened but..." He sighed. "Since it did... I just don't want to be like Dan."

"Keeping the baby won't make you be less like Dan." Keith responded. "It's about owning up to your mistakes and taking responsibility... something Dan never did and will never be able to do."

"I want to do it."

"Are you sure?" Karen asked.

"I'm sure. But I'm even more sure that... if Brooke changes her mind... then that's what we'll do." Everyone unfocused their attention when they heard Brooke in the background.

"Luke?" She whispered, standing in the doorway. As independent as she was, she looked so weak at that moment.

"Hey." He whispered back, smiling.

"How are you feeling, honey?" Karen asked, sweetly.

"Not so good." Brooke replied.

"Do you want something to eat? I can make you something." Karen asked, in a steady pace.

"That's okay. Thank you though." She replied, sincerely. "You know, Luke... I spent the last few weeks thinking and... if you can promise me you'll be around, then... then this is what I want. I want us to be a family."

"Are you sure? I mean, this is a lot to think about."

"I'm sure... This is what I want."

Karen jumped in. "Well, Brooke, you do know that there's a lot to consider in this-"

"I know. And... I know that you and Keith will be able to help us. You're my family now so... I'd like to think that... we can go to you for help when we need it."

"Of course you can." Keith smiled.

"I just need to know that I'm not going to be alone." Brooke quivered.

"No, of course you won't, sweetie." Karen sat next to Brooke and rubbed her shoulder. "You don't ever have to worry about that."

"Why don't we go out to eat?" Keith said, breaking the tension. "I know a place we can go where we can get the food for free."

"Really?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah... I know the owner." He winked at Karen and Brooke laughed. They all got up and went to Karen's cafe.

;

;

Brooke spotted Peyton walking with Haley outside and excused herself from the group. She got outside and stopped them.

"Hey." Brooke said, awkwardly. Peyton didn't respond. Haley looked uncomfortable.

"Should I go?" Haley asked, thinking that Peyton and Brooke needed to talk.

"No, it's okay...Um... Peyton, I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? I mean, I'm the one that your boyfriend cheated on you with. You don't have any reason to forgive me."

"Yeah, but, Peyton... we promised each other when we were little that... that nothing would ruin our friendship... and I'd hate to think something so trivial like this would break us apart."

"And I don't want it to. You and Lucas belong together." Haley rolled her eyes.

"Well, you'll be happy to know that Lucas and I are back together."

"You are?" Haley blurted out.

"Yes, tutor girl, we are." She smirked. "Lucas and I are just dealing with some stuff right now."

"Is it...?" Peyton didn't want to say it. "It's... it's all over school, Brooke... is it true?"

"What's all over school?" Haley asked, being the only one that didn't know what was going on.

Brooke nodded. "It's true."

"What's true?" Haley yelled.

"Brooke's pregnant." Peyton sighed.

"What?" Haley whispered, incredulously. "Oh god, Brooke, no. Why?"

"We just weren't careful enough." Haley started to tremble. "Sex can do that to you."

"Do you need anything Brooke?" Peyton asked.

"Oh, yeah, God, anything at all?" Haley added.

"Not yet... We're still trying to get use to all of this... I don't if we can, but... we're trying." Lucas stepped out of the cafe and joined the girls.

"Hey Hales." He didn't acknowledge Peyton, although he wanted to. He thought it would be too awkward for Brooke. "You okay, Brooke?" Brooke nodded.

Haley jumped out of her shock and looked at Lucas. "Uh.. Luke... Congratulations." She feigned a smile.

"She told you?"

Peyton nodded. "Well, we gotta go." Peyton grabbed Lucas's forearm and hugged him. "You'll do fine, Luke."

Lucas smiled. "Thanks."

Haley hugged Brooke before she left. "If you need anything Brooke... just ask."

"Okay." Brooke smiled. Peyton and Haley walked off together. They both turned around. It seemed as though Haley was looking at Lucas, concerned by his mistake, while Peyton looked at Brooke feeling remorse for her friend. In reality, though, Peyton was looking at Lucas, lusting over him, while Haley was looking at Brooke, scared for her future.

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><p><strong>Author's note: Again... I have NO idea what I'm doing with this story. NOTHING is set in stone... AT ALL. Eventually, it'll all come to me piece by piece or all at once. I can't say for certain where this will end up. Maybe Brooke and Lucas (I almost typed Julian. XD) will get their happy ending, or maybe they'll realize this is something they can't handle. I have NO IDEA what I'm going to do with this story, so don't get freaked out if you read too much into something I write down. Nothing is a guarantee. Review!<strong>


	3. 17 weeks

**Author's note: So you guys really like this story, huh? I'm shocked, honestly. My reviews for my favorite story have been stuck at the same number for the past three chapters. This story honestly has the highest rate of reviews compared to all of my stories. 30 reviews in two chapters? You guys are unbelievable. I don't know what it is that posesses me to continue this story, I honestly don't. Maybe it's you guys. I'm honored that you all appreciate this story so much, so I want to make you all happy. Thank you SO much for all the kind reviews!**

**Linda19: I'm really only writing Haley the way that she was in the beginning of the show when it came to the BL relationship. I think that Haley wanted Lucas to end up with Peyton to begin with. I mean, he did talk about her constantly from the time he was in the 8th grade. Haley was kinda judgemental when it came to their relationship. I remember her saying to Lucas that Brooke wasn't right for him. I might have her grow on the situation a bit, I honestly can't promise anything, though. And yes, Brooke is definitely going to learn to grow up because of this- trust me.**

**ReadingRed: I do get what you're saying. It's a complicated thing all around. I don't disrespect anyone for supporting ships that are non-existant now. In fact, one of my closest friends is IN LOVE with CMM and BL. She knows I'm a HUGE BJu fan, but we get past it. Other than the couples we ship, we're pretty much identical. I have nothing but respect for everyone that watches One Tree Hill. They have the right to support any couple they wish. :)**

**Biddy429: That's a partial reason I started writing this story. I'm a Brulian fan, and there isn't a whole lot of "early days" when it comes to those two. I'm a fan of the newer seasons, but that doesn't mean I don't LOVE the high school years. I think everyone loves a little bit of the old school Tree Hill that they know and love. The older episodes are definitely the foundation of the show and that's what made it so great. What's wrong with revisting that? :)**

**BpDs89: I hope to have a lot of dialogue in this story to bring that kind of feeling to the readers. :) By the way, you're username wouldn't happen to stand for "Brooke Penelope Davis Scott 89", would it? lol**

**XHush-HushX: Do you want there to be a problem with that? lol, all I know about what I'm doing is that, everything is going to be like a ship. It's never going to move the same way. There are going to be calm waters and there are going to be some storms. How exactly I'm working all of that in is still up in the air. **

**You guys are awesome! And I can say that, knowing you all love Brucas too. XD Again, I really do appreciate that you guys support me and this story so much, even though I don't have too many people supporting my favorite story anymore. Those of you that also write on here, I bet you know how annoying it is to go into your email and see that someone added your story to their alerts, but they never review. I get that with all my stories, but not this one. Anyone that adds this to their alert reviews as well. Thank you all so much! Here's chapter 3 of "Something's Gotta Give"!**

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><p>Lucas entered his bedroom with two large boxes that were stacked on top of each other. He gently placed them on the bed, struggling to hold them up. He took a step back to canvas the scene; his room was filled with boxes marked with different words.<p>

"There... That's it. That's everything." He said, with a smile.

"Everything?" Brooke parroted.

"Everything." He assured. "You're officially moved in." Brooke cheered and clapped her hands at what she just heard.

"This is great, Luke! It feels just like home." Brooke smiled and walked up to Lucas. Lucas put his arms around her waist.

"Yes, it is." He smiled. She smiled back and they kissed. "It's not my house anymore Brooke... it's our home."

"And this is the place where we're going to start our family, right?"

"Absolutely." Brooke smiled wide as he said that.

"Good... because baby and I are looking for a place to settle down." She giggled.

"_Baby and I_? Did it take you all night to come up with that one? Maybe we should name it, Brooke."

"Hey! It's not an 'it' Lucas!" She playfully, slapped his arm. "We can't name the baby yet, anyway. We don't even know the sex."

"I know," he grinned, "But I'm excited."

"Oh? Two weeks ago you were scared out of your mind."

"Yeah, but that was then. We're living in the here and now, Brooke. We're growing up."

"You've grown up this much in two weeks?" She smiled.

"Fatherhood can do that to you." He smiled back.

"Fatherhood..." She repeated. She sat down on the bed and looked around. "Fatherhood?" She examined the word.

"Brooke, you okay?" He sat on the bed with her.

"This is real, isn't it?"

"Yeah, of course it is." He said, stroking her forearm.

"Wow..." She whispered.

"Brooke, what's wrong?"

"I-It's just now hitting me that... my life is being put on pause."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm not gonna graduate." She blurted out, shocked.

"Babe, what do you mean?"

"I'm gonna be behind in school... a-and I won't be able to graduate with our class..."

"Brooke, of course you will."

"No, I won't... I-I have to spend all that time taking care of a bastard child!"

"Woah!" Lucas bounced of the bed, shocked by what Brooke had just said."Where'd that come from?"

"No. No, no. No, no, I-I didn't mean it like that, I just meant that... well... we're not married and... the chances we'll be married in five months is... highly unlikely, I mean, we're only seventeen!"

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"

"...Lucas... you're not suggesting... No! No, Luke, we just got back together! Just because we're having a baby doesn't mean we have to rush and get married!"

"No, I wasn't suggesting that!"

"Okay! We got pregnant then we got back together, we don't need to get married right now."

"... Are you saying we only got back together because we're having a baby?" He said, shocked, hoping that wasn't the cause.

"What? No, no, that's not what I'm saying! I-I'm saying that... that we love each other and that we're starting a life together, and we owe it to ourselves to be happy, but marriage is way down the road."

"Brooke, I'm not talking about marriage!"

"But you're thinking about it!" Lucas didn't answer. "See?"

"What, you're going to blame me for loving you?"

"I'm not blaming you-!"

"Do you still love me, Brooke?" He blurted.

"Why would you ask me that?" She hissed.

"Yes or no, Brooke?" He hissed back.

"... I'm having your _baby_ Lucas! Do you really need me to answer that? I can't believe you would accuse me of something like that-!"

"I'm not accusing you of anything! Brooke, I just need to know that this is going to work with us." He whined. His anger grew weaker as his voice started to quiver.

"I didn't have any doubts until about two seconds ago."

"You said you weren't ready to put your life on pause." He said, bitterly.

"Lucas, I'm just scared of growing up! I don't know how!" She cried. "Okay? I'm just scared!" Brooke started breaking down. "I-I don't know how to raise a baby, Lucas! I'm in way over my head, and I don't know what to do!" Brooke started crying more fiercely and Lucas pulled her closely and hugged her as tight as he could.

"Are you having second thoughts, Brooke?" He whispered, his lips pressed against her head.

"No... I don't know... I need someone to tell me what to do." She cried.

"No, no, Brooke, no one can do that... this is all up to you, you need to decide."

"...I can't." She whimpered.

"Yes you can." He pulled her tighter. "Brooke Davis is a fighter... Believe that."

"I can't, I can't."

"Brooke, you can't live your life in fear. You're going to be a good mom, I know it."

"But, I'm still a child... I don't... I don't know what I'm doing."

"You think I know better?" He chuckled faintly. "Brooke... neither of us is ready for this... And that's the beauty... we'll learn. And we have family, a-and friends... we can get through this."

"... What if I don't want to?" She pulled back from Lucas.

"Do you?" His voice shook.

"I don't know. I-I don't feel like we're ready... Not yet."

"Well... if that's... what you want to do... it'll be something we decide together."

"Do you think we're ready?"

"Honestly?... No."

"Me either."

"So then... what do you want to do now?"

"I feel like I'd be a terrible person if I didn't go through with this, but what if we did? What if we couldn't do what we were suppose to do for the baby?"

"What if we did?"

"Lucas!" She whined. "You're making this harder for me."

"I'm sorry... Brooke, what do you want to do about this?"

She took several moments to respond before, "I don't want to do this."

"Are you sure?" He asked, afraid and relieved all at once.

"I'm pretty sure... Maybe I'm being selfish, but... I don't want to ruin my child's life by being unprepared."

"Okay..." He nodded his head. "Okay... well... let's take a couple more days to think about that... and then.. we can set up an appointment if we still decide to go through with it..." Brooke nodded her head and wiped away her tears. "Brooke, I'm sorry it came to this... I really am."

"Maybe... maybe we needed this scare to wake us up... Maybe this is what's suppose to happen."

"Maybe..." He agreed. "One can only hope, right?"

"So this is it?" She whispered.

"I guess so..." He said, sticking his hands in his pockets. He couldn't understand how things could change so drastically in the matter of a few weeks.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: So, I decided that because I didn't update on Monday that I would post chapters on the weekends, (Which is what will most likely happen) but be on the lookout in case I get some free time to write this. Again, I don't know what I'm doing with this story, so don't read too much into this. Maybe they'll go through with it, maybe they won't, I don't know for sure. I don't know what compelled me to write this chapter so badly today... I just felt like working on it. It's difficult to man three fanfictions and do school work. And on top of that, I'm thinking about taking my one-shot fic and turning it into an actual story. Just stay with me guys. This road's gonna be bumpy, and I'm not just talking about what happens in the story. I'll try and update ALL of my stories as often as I can, I promise. Don't forget to review!<strong>


	4. 18 weeks

**Author's Note: You guys are awesome. I almost have fifty reviews and I'm only on chapter four. How great are you! I'm so glad that you really appreciate my story and that you're all giving me feedback.**

**craxygirl54: That's exactly what I was trying to portray in that chapter. It's not an easy decision, in fact, it might be the hardest desicion next to the one Sophie had to make in Sophie's Choice, but in a sense it's the same thing, right?**

**XHush-HushX: Brooke doesn't ever underthink things. Even though she appears as if she doesn't know what she's doing in the first season, she's a smart girl, and everyone will figure that out eventually.**

**tanya2byour21: They've considered that. Even though I don't write ALL of their conversations, they've gone over everything, but there's SO many things to consider when making a choice as hard as the one Brooke has to make.**

**hprandom554: The first chapter took place during episode 1.19, that was the episode where Nathan first told Haley he loved her. So, yes, they are indeed together, but they are not married and have not had sex yet, but they've been talking about having sex.**

**fireangel08: It's funny, not a single person has reviewed asking for them to have a girl. XD**

**Angelica Lavergne: 17 weeks actually is not too late to have an abortion done, legally. An abortion can take place up until 24 weeks. It can actually be done further along than that, (late-term abortion) but it's not reccomended under consideration of the mother's health.**

**I've been reading all of your reviews, and have put a lot of thought into what I'm going to be doing in this chapter. So I'm pleased to announce that, in this chapter, Brooke does make a final decision regarding the baby. I take it that by now, you've stopped reading the Author's Note and are now scrolling to the bottom of the page. So, I'll wait... Oh, you're back? Great, now maybe read from the beginning this time? Enjoy chapter four and don't forget to review.**

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><p>Brooke stepped out of her car, her legs shaking, fearing the comments she was sure to hear that day. She had finally decided to go back to school after discovering she was pregnant. She and Lucas still hadn't made a definite decision on whether or not to keep the baby. The choice was far too difficult, but Brooke was sure she wouldn't be able to handle it and Lucas respected her decision. She walked down the halls, watching people give her dirty looks and whisper, but no one said a word to her directly. She tried her best to ignore it until a girl walked up to her and smiled.<p>

"Hi, Brooke." She looked down at her belly and smiled wider. Brooke cringed, expecting a snobbish remark. "Congratulations on the pregnancy."

"Uh... th-thank you." She said, surprised and confused. The girl nodded and walked away. After that encounter, it appeared as if everyone was disregarding Brooke's presence. She felt a lot less paranoid afterwords. She continued walking down the hall and heard similar comments from three other girls. She even ran into Jake and they had a little conversation about Jenny. He didn't bring up the abortion, he knew it wasn't his place, especially because Lucas asked him not to say anything to her. She walked around the school for about ten minutes hearing nothing but 'congratulations' from everyone she ran into. She passed by the tutor center and saw Haley reading a book on her own. She walked inside and smiled. "Hey." Haley looked up from her book, surprised to see Brooke Davis anywhere near a tutor center. "Where's Nathan?"

"Early basketball practice." She responded, looking back into her book.

"Oh... Uh, you busy?"

"Not really, why?" She asked, still not looking at Brooke.

"I just wanted to talk."

"About?" She asked, uninterested.

"I don't know... whatever you want to talk about?" Haley looked up from her book, slowly.

"Brooke, I don't really want to talk with you." She said, coldly.

"Why? I-is something wrong?" She asked, not understand what Haley was getting at.

"No, not really." She said, going back to her book.

"Then... What? I'm lost."

"_There's _a surprise."

"Haley... are you... are you mad at me or something?"

"I don't know, Brooke, what do you think?"

"I-I don't understand. Haley, did I do something to upset you?" She asked, sitting at the table with her. Haley sighed. "Because whatever I did, I'm sorry."

"It's not just you."

"Then what? M-Me and Lucas? Is that it?" Haley scoffed under her breath. "Haley why are you mad at us?"

"I'm not mad!" She shouted. "...I'm dissapointed."

"Dissapointed in me and Lucas... why?"

"Because, Brooke! Lucas is smarter than that, and despite what other people think I know you are too!"

"Haley what are you talking about?" Haley stood up and closed the door to the tutor center, locking it.

"I'm talking about you getting pregnant."

"Oh..."

"Yeah... Brooke... what were you two thinking? Why weren't you being responsible and-and careful?"

"We were." Brooke said, to Haley's surprise.

"What?"

"We were careful...a-and on top of that, I was on birth control."

"Well, then, how...?" Haley was dumbfounded.

"Birth control failed... condom broke... both? Haley, we were careful, the problem is that we weren't careful enough. We figured it wouldn't happen. Luke and I never had un-protected sex... we figured if it hadn't happend already, it wasn't going to. And we were wrong."

"...Wow..." Haley sat down, sighing in disbelief. "I don't believe this..."

"What are you thinking?" Brooke asked, sympathetically.

"I'm thinking that... that I need to break up with Nathan."

"What?" Brooke asked, stunned. "Haley, where did that come from?"

"I never thought of myself as this girl, but ever since I started going out with Nathan..."

"Wait, what kind of girl are you talking about?"

"You. The kind of girl that wants to be with guys and... wants to... _be_ with guys... I..."

"Wait... Haley, are you thinking about having sex with him?"

"SHHH! Not so loud, Brooke!"

"Well, well, look at you go, tutor girl."

"Look, it's just... I know he wants to have sex and it's too much pressure on me and... I can't stay with him if these our only options."

"Haley... sometimes people don't have too many options... Do you love him?"

"I do..."

"Then why leave him? Is it because you think if you two have sex that you'll end up like me?"

"I don't know, maybe... Is that a bad thing?"

"No... but you don't have to leave him because of it. Talk to him."

"Is that all it takes?"

"If you love each other then just talking it out is enough." Brooke smiled. "Look, I gotta go. Just talk to him. I'm sure you can work it out." Haley nodded as Brooke got up and started to leave.

"Hey, Brooke?" Brooke turned around. "I know this is a probably a personal question but... if you could do it differently... would you wait?"

"... Yeah, I would've... If I could've done it differently, I would've waited until I was in love."

"You're not in love now?"

"...Lucas wasn't my first time." Brooke answered, avoiding the question. Brooke turned back around and walked out the door, grateful that she gave Haley some helpful advice, hoping she would take it.

;

;

Brooke laid down on the ultrasound table, shaking slightly, trying to hide it from the nurse. She exhaled deeply and closed her eyes.

"The doctor will be in with you in just a second, dear." The female nurse said, before walking out the door.

"Thank you." Brooke sighed. Brooke looked up at the clock and saw that Lucas was ten minutes late to their appointment. She figured, by now, he wasn't going to show up. Not a minute more passed my before the doctor came in.

"Hi there, Brooke." The doctor smiled. "I'm doctor Schoenfield." She walked up to Brooke's table and looked at her file. "It says here that you're... eighteen weeks pregnant, yes?" Brooke nodded. "Okay, and what about the father? Is he coming?"

"Uh... I don't... I don't think so, he was suppose to be here a while ago."

"Well, do you want to wait or should we get started now?"

"We can... go ahead and start." Brooke said, quietly. The doctor smiled and prepared the ultrasound transducer. Brooke closed her eyes and sighed, awaiting the cold gel to make contact with her abdomen. She opened her eyes when she heard the door open. Lucas peered his head through the door and smiled.

"Hey, I'm sorry I'm late, I had a thing to do. I'm so sorry." He said, walking over to Brooke, holding her hand.

"No, it's okay, it's okay. I'm glad you're here."

"I wouldn't miss it." He smiled. Brooke held his hand tighter as she felt the ice cold gel on her skin. She closed her eyes again and opened them when she heard a steady beating rhythm. It was her baby's heart. She and Lucas turned to the monitor and were stunned by what they saw. Brooke's eyes started to tear up as she saw her baby on that screen. She tried not to cry, but couldn' help herself. This had been the first time she saw her baby before, and she was so in love with her baby at that moment.

"Have you two decided on what you plan on doing in regards to this pregnancy?" The doctor asked.

"Uh, we haven't really made a decision, but we're thinking about maybe not keeping the baby." Lucas answered. The doctor didn't seem surprised. Brooke focused her attention away from the monitor and looked at Lucas.

"No..." Brooke whispered.

"What?"

"I wanna... I wanna keep the baby." She said, starting to cry.

"Brooke... are you sure? I mean, this is a big decision."

"I wanna keep the baby... I want this baby in my life and I want you in my life... I want us to be a family..."

"You're sure?"

"I've never been more sure. This is what I want." Brooke smiled. "If you'll help me."

"Absolutely, Brooke. If this is what you want, this is what we'll do." He smiled back. They both laughed and kissed in celebration. The doctor grinned at the scene, having not seen that in teenage parents before.

"Well, then I guess congratulations are in order." The doctor smiled at them. "It's not very often to see teenage parents take responsibility." Brooke and Lucas nodded in agreement. "Would you like to know the sex?"

Brooke and Lucas exhanged looks and nodded. "Yes." Brooke smiled, wiping a tear from her eye. The doctor turned back to the monitor and explained to them how to identify the sex of the baby. They both smiled wide as she showed them whether their baby was a boy or a girl. They gave each other a look and kissed again as they realized that, that was the moment they were ready to become a family.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: So that's that. I know that you guys all wanted her to keep the baby and to be totally honest, I wasn't going to write and entire fanfiction to have it last three chapters and have her abort the baby. lol, what are you crazy? Of course she's going through with the pregnancy! But bumps in the road? Definitely. Also, I know that you all want to know the sex of the baby, but I'm keeping that a secret for a while, so tough nuggets. I want to thank you guys again for reading and taking the time to review. It really does mean the world to me to have almost 50 reviews for 3,000 words. It's a special thing to think that people like your work so much, so thanks again! Don't forget to review!<strong>

**P.S: I watched "How Can You Be Sure?" over again today because I wanted to be able to add in other elements of the show that had being going on (IE: Nathan and Haley's first time issue) and I didn't want to leave that out. In regards to Keith's proposal to Karen, we're just gonna say that he never proposed. As for Peyton and Jake... I'm sure that whole thing will come into place later. *evil thinking***


	5. 19 weeks

**Author's note: Hey guys! I want to thank everyone for your reviews! Tutourgirl23, XHush-HushX , hey, fireangel08, Ace5492, OTH12, arubagirl0926, Liz, Libby, BpDs89, dianehermans, craxygirl54, tanya2byour21, DANI OTH, and robinscorpiofan. I appreciate every last one of them. Thank you to my regulars that have been sticking around this long and thank you to those that just started reading. You guys really make my day special and I LOVE writing for you guys! I'm really sorry for keeping this story from you an extra few days. I was EXTREMELY busy with the district thespian competition I was in over the weekend. I was crazy busy from Thursday to Saturday. By Sunday, I was just too tired to write. I'm sorry that I can't get this story to you as often as I would like. If I could, I would write ten chapters every day for all of you, but I can't. Luckily, Thanksgiving break has started. Also, nine school days later, I'll be on a nineteen day Winter break so I'll be writing much more often. I'll try to make it up to those of you that were expecting the chapter earlier.**

**arubagirl0926: A LOT. That's all I can say. I've thought a little about what I want to do next with this story, but not a whole lot. I never have a story without drama at every turn.**

**Liz: I know that some people are looking forward to my stories as often as posssible, but there are only certain hours of the day where I'm allotted to work on these fanfictions. I'm getting behind on some of them and that's not good. I've had a lot going on these last few days and haven't had much time to do anything online. It's Thanksgiving break so I'll be getting chapters out as often as possible. I'll be writing all week. I'll do the best I can afterwords, but I can't promise anything.**

**Libby: Apparently not. EVERYONE that's reviewed has asked for a boy... maybe **_**that's**_** too predictable...**

**craxygirl54: Baley is my favorite. I'm trying to build in the Baley friendship, unlike my co-written story that is all about Baley and has almost no Breyton.**

**DANI OTH: I had never thought to bring Jrulian into this story. I probably won't either. I have plenty of BJu fics and I know that a lot of people read this story because it's Brucas. I wouldn't want to drive them away with Brulian. It'll probably stay BL-centered from here on out. **

**robinscorpiofan: You read my mind! Second half of this chapter. :)**

**I love you guys! It really makes my day to come onto Fanfiction and see that I have five new reviews every once in a while. It really means the world to me that you want me to update so often. I'm trying, guys, I really am. I'm doing the very best that I can to update this story. Now, while you wait for chapter six... here's chapter five!**

**P.S I know that the timing is a little strange, but don't focus on that. I'm making it work for the story.**

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><p>Brooke and Lucas walked down the snowy roads, taking all the back streets. They weren't going anywhere in particular, just walking around, spending time with each other.<p>

"I can't believe Junior year is almost over. I mean, think about it, we're gonna be leaving high school soon." Brooke said, astounded.

"Yeah, it's pretty crazy." Lucas agreed.

"Everything's changing, Luke."

"What do you mean?"

"You and Nathan are friends, Peyton and Jake are taking care of Jenny... you and me..." She smiled. "Nathan and Haley." She added.

"Right." Lucas groaned. "I can't believe they actually got married... they're seventeen."

"I know, right? I mean, it wasn't even two weeks ago when I told tutor girl to slow it down."

"Wait... you gave her advice?"

"Yeah... I guess she was pressured into having sex with him and I told her it'd be better to wait... but... now they're married." Brooke gasped, "Maybe they had sex anyway and she's pregnant like me!" She said, excited for some reason.

"No, it's not that. I know Haley... Maybe it's really just about love. I mean, if she sees something in him... it's gotta be there."

"Maybe... oh, listen, your mom wants to throw me a baby shower when I hit thirty weeks, so we're letting you hang out with the guys then."

"Why thirty weeks?"

"Because it'll be your birthday." She smiled. "We're giving you free reign to do whatever you want."

"Really?"

"Yeah... just maybe don't have drunk sex with any of the girls at the topless bar."

"Deal." He laughed.

Brooke laughed at her own joke and looked at Lucas who was laughing along.

"You know, Luke, I'm really glad you're still around."

"Did you think I wouldn't be?"

"I don't know... none of the guys I've ever been with are the type to stick around when things get rough... and things are definitely rough right now."

Lucas stopped walking and looked at Brooke. "I'm always gonna be here, Brooke. No matter what. I'll be here, okay?" Brooke closed her eyes, nodded and smiled as Lucas kissed the top of her head. She reached her hand into Lucas's jacket and intertwined her fingers with his.

"You cold?" He asked, noticing she was tightening up.

"A little. I'm so glad we're having a spring baby. I love the spring." Brooke smirked. "Imagine how tacky it would be if I went into labor on the last day of school."

"Oh, that's when your due date is, right?"

"Four days later, so pretty close." They walked a little further, then Brooke stopped the silence. "Hey, Luke?... Just so you know... I know I seem all calm about this pregnancy... but I'm not. I'm actually really freaking out about it."

"Why?" He asked concerned.

"Because it's a little person, Lucas. I'm not sure I'm ready to be a mom on my own."

"You won't be on your own, Brooke. You've got all of us there to help you. And we'll try not to let you turn into a stereotypical teenage mom." He joked. Brooke chuckled but started to cry. "Hey, hey, what's wrong?"

"I don't really know." She said, trying to stop the tears from falling. "I'm scared but... I'm really happy, too... is that normal?"

"Of course it's normal, Brooke. You need to stop worrying, okay?" Brooke nodded.

"You always know what to say, Luke." She smiled.

"Let's keep it that way." He chuckled, knowing that eventually he wouldn't have all the answers.

;

;

;

Brooke knocked on the door to the Naley apartment and stood there, shaking from the cold.

"It's open."She heard a male voice call from inside. She turned the door knob and peered her head inside.

"Hey." She whispered to Nathan who was cooking dinner in their kitchen.

"Hey, Brooke." He said, turning his head to see Brooke and then turning back to his food. "Come in." Brooke nodded and quietly entered. "What brings you by?"

"Oh, I was just looking to talk to Haley."

"Uh, I think she's working a late shift at the cafe. Probably won't be home for another hour... Sorry."

"Oh..." Brooke said, turning around to leave.

"Hey, wait." Nathan said, setting his utensils down, walking toward Brooke. "While, I've got you... Can we talk?" Brooke was slightly confused.

"Uh... Yeah, I guess." She said, sitting on the couch next to Nathan. He looked at her compassionately.

"Look..." He sighed. "Don't be mad, but... Haley told me..."

"Oh..."

"Yeah... Listen... I can't imgaine how spooked you and Luke must be, but... don't be. Okay, look... Lucas has learned a lot from being abandoned by Dan and I know that you have what it takes to be better for your kid because of the kind of parents you have. There really isn't any reason to be scared. I know that you and I are a lot alike..."

"People change."

"Yeah. Sometimes for the worse, but most of the time, for the better. I mean, look at me... I'm married... Because I fell in love. Aren't you in love?"

"... I think so."

"Okay... And you decided you wanted to start a family."

"Yeah, but, my parents are gonna raise hell."

"Why?"

"Because... getting pregnant isn't 'part of the plan'."

"What plan?"

Brooke got silent for a minute. "... My parents have this... big plan mapped out for me... 'Go to college... get a job... get married...' Starting a family isn't part of the plan."

"Why let your parents run your life?"

"Because they're adults... they know what life is like, and I don't know how to live my own life."

"No teen knows how to run their own life. But that's the point, you learn to make your own mistakes and that's how you live life... You can't let your parents control you... Why do you think I got emancipated?"

"Because your parents are devils."

"And so are yours."

"How do you know that?"

"Because of the way you grew up... the same way as me." Brooke lowered her head, knowing he was right. "What is it you're so afraid of, Brooke?"

"My parents yelling at me?"

"Tell them to shove it."

"Are you serious?" She chuckled.

"Very.

"Forget about your parents... what are you afraid of?"

"...People... talking..."

"About your pregnancy?" Brooke nodded. "Forget about that... forget about what people might say. Forget about everyone else and what they think." He stood up and raised his voice. "What are you afraid of?" Brooke closed her eyes and tried her hardest not to cry. "What are you afraid of? Are you afraid of your body changing? Having to stay up late every night? What? What is it that you're afraid of?"

"I'm afraid of changing!" Brooke shouted. Nathan was dead silent. "...I've been the same person for so long... I don't know how to be my own person... I can't do it." She cried.

"Yes you can." He said, sitting back down, placing his hand on her thigh. "You're stronger than that, Brooke. I know you are. Come on, look at me... I've made so many changes in my life since I met Haley. There's no reason you can't start now."

"I don't know how." She said, wiping her tears away.

"I can help you." He smiled. "Anything you need... I'm here. Haley's here. And Lucas is here... Karen and Peyton and Keith... You've got so many people that love you that can help ease you into your own life. We'll help you break those chains, Brooke, don't you worry. Everything else... don't worry about it. Nothing else is important." He smiled at Brooke, glowingly.

"When did you become so nice, Nathan?"

"When I met Haley. She changed me... and I've never been happier." He smiled at her again and then hugged her tightly. She gripped onto his jacket, trying not to cry. He released the hug and stood up. "So..." He changed the subject and walked back into the kitchen. "Haley'll be home soon... Why don't you stay for dinner?"

"Oh, no, I don't... I don't wanna intrude."

"Don't be silly. I've got enough for five."

"Five?"

"You, me, Haley, Lucas... and little Lucas." He said, pointing at her stomach.

Brooke chuckled. "Okay."

"How does lasagna sound?"

Brooke smiled. "That sounds... perfect." Nathan chuckled and went back to cooking. "Do you need some help?"

"Yeah, actually... Can you, uh, get me the tomato sauce?" Brooke nodded and went over to the pantry. She had this warm feeling inside her that made her feel so much better about herself. She knew, in that moment, that there was nothing for her to be afraid of anymore.

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><p><strong>Author's note: So there you go. Sorry it took so long to update this. Almost a week longer than it should've been. I can't promise to get chapters out every day. It just isn't that possible, I'm sorry. I'm doing the very best that I can. I'll try and get one or two more chapters out before school starts up again on Monday. Review!<strong>


	6. 25 weeks

**Author's note: Starting the author's note on a bit of a negative note. First of all, I love you guys and I appreciate SO much that you're reading and reviewing and that you want more, but when I tell you that I have a lot going on, I mean it. If I tell you all that I am extremely busy, then I am. As much as I would love to do nothing but write, I can't. And I don't like hearing people tell me to update because they want to read it so badly. As much as you want to read it, I guarantee you, I want to write it more than that. To make things easier for everyone, I made a twitter account specifically for updates on my fanfictions. My twitter handle is "GWJFanficUpdate" You'll find me. I try to tweet as often as I can about updates. If you don't get a tweet AT ALL that day, it's likely that I won't be updating. I use that account for all of my current fanfictions as well as ideas for future fanfictions. I think it would be easier for everyone if you went to that twitter as often as possible so I'm not hearing people telling me to stop doing what I'm doing to write this story for them. I wasn't going to update at all this week, but SO many people were nagging me. It's not just one person. It's a lot of people, so don't assume that I'm mad at you, because I'm not. I'm just extremely stressed out and don't have time for stuff like that.**

**Now that, that is out of the way, let's get to the positive stuff! Thanks to everyone for reviewing! BpDs91, ReadingRed, OTH12, Ace5492, DANI OTH, Tutourgirl23, XHush-HushX, hprandom554, fireangel08, arubagirl0926, Liz, Isabel camilla Scott, tanya2byour2, bjq, robinscorpiofan, VFBFan, and itsallgleektome. You guys are rocking awesome for caring so much about this story, and I really do appreciate it. :)**

**ReadingRed: You and everyone else.**

**DANIOTH: And I appreciate the suggestion. Thanks for caring about my ships. XD But seriously, no Brulian as far as I know. Also, we're going to see exactly why it was so hard for her to keep that around in this chapter.**

**XHush-HushX: If I only accomplish one thing by completing my story, I want it to be that reason. I love the show so much because I get the characters. I don't necessarily act just like them, but I am able to capture their essence. **

**hprandom554: Me too. They need to be in the show more, right?**

**Isabel camilla Scott: You'll see more of them for sure. **

**bjq: You're asking about Brooke Davis? Do you know anything about her? ;)**

**robinscorpiofan: Me too. XD She'll be able to. You'll see some of that in this chapter. It's a long process.**

**VFBF****an: You've got a point. Hmm...**

**Really, guys, you all rock so much. I don't know what else to say except, enjoy the next chapter! (It's a Christmas chapter just for the occasion. :])**

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><p>Brooke spent all day cooped up in the house with nothing to do. Her and Lucas were having a Christmas Eve party that day and she was waiting for people to arrive. She would've given anything for something interesting to happen, but she would regret thinking that later. She got up from the couch when she heard a knock at the door.<p>

"Merry Christmas!" Haley cheered from the other side of the doorway. Brooke smiled at the sight of her and Nathan. "I was gonna make fruitcake, but Nathan insisted on jello salad." Haley said, extending the bowl towards Brooke.

"Thank you," she chuckled, "It's a good thing, too, because I can't stand fruitcake." She opened the door wider to let them inside.

"How's the baby?" Haley asked, giddily, while feeling Brooke's belly.

"Kicking and screaming?" She joked. "Baby Brooke is doing good."

"Baby Brooke... that's cute." Haley smiled. "Where's Luke?"

"In the shower. Where's Peyton?"

"We were gonna give her a ride but she said she had to do something. She should be here soon." The three stoof there awkwardly, until Nathan jumped in.

"Can we get to the elephant in the room?" He asked.

"Uh, okay...?" Brooke responded, not knowing what Nathan meant. Nathan looked at Haley and shrugged.

"We wanna know the sex of the baby!" Haley giggled.

"Can't. It's a secret." Brooke responded, smiling.

"Ugh! Why?" Haley whined. "We wanna know!"

"And you'll find out, I promise. Luke and I have an awesome idea. We're gonna paint the nursery either pink or blue and then we'll show everyone the nursery during the baby shower."

"Not fair." Haley said, sternly.

"Sorry. Them's the rules." Brooke laughed.

"Well, how do you expect us to buy things for your baby if we don't know the sex?"

"Neutrality? Besides, Lucas and I are returning all the gifts the next day anyawy." Haley stood with her mouth open. "Kidding! God, you're so east Haley."

"I am not!"

"Haley, you're like the most gullible person I know. You didn't even notice that it's written on the ceiling."

"What?" Haley asked, looking up. Nathan and Brooke laughed, while Haley frowned at their enjoyment. "Ha, ha, very funy." She said, sarcastically. Lucas stepped into the room, as they were laughing, wearing only a towel.

"What's very funny?" He asked, drying his hair with another towel.

"God, Luke, put some clothes on." Haley joked.

"Shut up." He joked back. "Ooh, jello salad!" He said, sticking his finger in the bowl. Brooke slapped his wrist. "Ow!"

"That's for the party!" She stated, in a motherly, don't-touch-that, tone. Lucas stepped back and opened the fridge.

"I'll eat something else then... Geez." Just then, Peyton barged in.

"Hey!" She greeted everyone as she came inside with a box. "Does anyone else feel that draft?" She hinted when she spotted Lucas.

"All right, I get it, I'll change." He said, walking into his bedroom. Peyton laughed.

"How's my Brooke doing?" She asked, hugging her.

"Doing good." She smiled. "Everything's good."

"Good. Who else are we waiting on?"

"No one. Everyone's here; we just have to wait for Lucas to change."

"Ah, okay. Well, I brought my gift for the secret Santa. You guys?" She asked, looking at Nathan and Haley. They nodded. "Great, so let's get started! Where's the alcohol?" Karen walked in just as Peyton said that.

"Oh, no, not on my watch." She joked, knowing Peyton was joking as well. Keith walked in shortly behind her, followed by Lucas.

"Great! Everyone's here!" Brooke cheered. Just as she said that, she heard a loud knock at the door. "Or not... I thought this was all we invited."

"It is... or... was..." Lucas responded, going to open the door. He was startled to see who it was, but not nearly as startled as Brooke was.

"Mom?" She questioned as she saw Victoria Davis standing in the doorway with a scowl on her face. Brooke took a step backward.

"Brooke... Penelope... Davis...!" Her voice roared. "I leave you alone for a few weeks and..." She motioned to Brooke's stomach. "You let _this_ happen?"

"Mom-"

"No! I get to talk! I am your mother and you will do as _I_ say! How dare you! How dare you do something as-as-as childish and _stupid_ as this! What is the matter with you?" The group was standing in shock. Lucas stepped in, out of fury.

"Excuse me, but I don't appreciate the way you're speaking to her." He said, stepping forward.

"And who are you?" She scoffed.

"... I'm the father." He said, proudly, placing his hand on her stomach. Without hesitation, Victoria smacked him clean across the face. Karen stepped in less than a second later.

"Okay, look, I don't care whose mother you are; you are _NOT_ allowed to touch my son!" Karen hissed, taking dramatic steps toward Victoria.

"Oh, you're his mother? Well, then you realize what a terrible job you've been doing?" She said, pointing at Brooke's stomach.

"And you're any better? The kids made a mistake, but you shouldn't punish them like this." Karen replied.

"A mistake? That a terrible understatement." Keith stepped forward, realizing at any moment things could get ugly.

"Okay, I think you need to go."

"Fine." She said with her nose up. "Brooke, you're coming with me." She said, putting her nose up. "Brooke, you're coming with me." She said, pulling on Brooke's arm.

"No, mom." She said, pulling her arm back. "I'm not going home. I live here now."

"Oh, no you do not. You don't have permission to just leave whenever you want."

"Neither do you!" She snapped back. "You and dad left me by myself for six months!"

"Brooke, you're seventeen years old. You could handle yourself; It's okay."

Karen butted in. "Do you think that CPC would think it's okay? They could have you arrested." Karen threatened.

"Call them... Because the second you do, they'll take away Brooke's child too." Brooke jumped on her instinct.

"This child," Brooke hissed, "Is your granchild. You'd let them do that?"

"Hell yes, I woudl. Because you're not suppose to be having a baby, Brooke. You're seventeen!"

"Apparently, I'm old enough to take care of myself. I'm not a child!"

"Clearly." Victoria said, sarcastically.

"Mom... You can't tell me what to do anymore. I'm an adult."

"Oh... all of a sudden you're an adult because you're going to be a arent? It's not the same thing, Brooke! You think you're ready for this? Get it through your head; you can't do this!"

"Yes I can." She said, sternly.

"No, you can't."

"Yes... I can." She threw back.

"...Fine... if you're so adult and you can take care of yourself," Victoria looked at Brooke's stomach intently, "_and_ a child," She added, "... consider yourself disowned. You will have nothing to do with your father and I from now on." Victoria started walking away, leaving Brooke and everyone else stunned. Before Victoria could leave with the last word , Peyton interrupted.

"Wait, wait!" She grabbed her box and stood between everyone. "I want to give out my gift for secret Santa." She smiled. "Brooke... Merry Christmas." She said, handing her the box?

"What is it?" She asked while tearing away at the ribbon.

"It's a scrapbook. My dad gave it to me a few years after my mom died. Turns out, while I was growing up, she kept tons of pictures of me in here. I never even knew about it. She saved ll these memories for me... She was a great mom." She said, looking at Victoria, then looked back at Brooke. "So... I want you to have it... so you can keep the memories of your baby to give to them someday." She hugged Brooke. "Because, like my mom, I know you're gonna do great."

"Thank you." She said, trying not to cry. "I love it." What Peyton did for her in that moment made everything else go away.

Victoria had a disgusted look on her face. "Taking pictures and sticking them in a stupid little book doesn't make you a good parent." She scoffed.

"No, it doesn't. But it shows you care enough to remember your child's memories. And it'll make her a better parent than you." Peyton replied.

"Whatever." She said, while walking away. Peyton slammed the door behind her and looked at Brooke.

"Don't worry, Brooke... you're gonna do great no matter what Victoria says... Merry Christmas, B. Davis."

"Merry Christmas, P. Sawyer." Peyton hugged Brooke right before Haley joined in.

"Merry Christmas everyone!" Haley cheered.

"Merry Christmas." Nathan repeated.

"Merry Christmas." Karen smiled.

"Merry Christmas." Keith nodded.

"Merry Christmas." Lucas said, hugging Brooke. Lucas looked above him. "Brooke." He pointed upward.

"Ooh, mistletoe." She giggled.

"Should we-?" Lucas was interrupted by Brooke.

"Just kiss me." She said, pulling him closer, starting their party with a Christmas kiss despite the inevitable holiday disaster. Brooke knew, in that moment, because of her friends, that soon she would have her own little miracle and what better day to celebrate it than Christmas?

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><p><strong>Author's note: Was that Christmas-y enough for you? But seriously, I hope you enjoyed that. The next chapter is the baby shower, so this is your chance to give me your final input. When your review, be sure to vote: Baby boy or girl for Brucas? As soon as I reveal the gender, I'll explain my reasoning for picking it. Don't forget to follow my twitter account for updates on this story and all my other ones. From there, you can also follow my personal twitter as well. Review and Merry Christmas!<strong>


	7. 30 weeks

**Author's note: You guys, I am so so so so so so so sorry that I haven't updating in forever. You guys are my best reviewers and I feel like I let you down. I'll try my best to make sure this never happens again. To be honest, I didn't update as quickly because I was stuck. I mean, I knew what I wanted to do, but I didn't know how exactly to write it. Plus, I've got all this other stuff going on and it gets to be a bit much. However, I do appreciate not having people asking me every day when I plan on updating. You guys can still check my twitter for updates on my fanfictions, just so you know. **My twitter handle is "GWJFanficUpdate" You'll find me. ****

**Anyway, thanks to EVERYONE for reviewing! arubagirl0926, ReadingRed, OTH12, XHush-HushX, fireangel08, itsallgleektome, dianehermans, BpDs89, Babyblues82, DANI OTH, tanya2byour21, ****and Linda19. **

**OTH12: Well of course she will be. I just made Peyton say what nobody else would say out loud to Bitchtoria.**

**fireangel08: Peyton's not going to let anyone step on Brooke like that, not even her mother. It had to be done.**

**itsallgleektome: You'll probably be the happiest person reading this chapter. But not for long. lmao**

**DANI OTH: Well, don't expect Vicwhoria to go away just yet.**

**tanya2byour21: Brooke's dad will make an appearance in this story, and just might surprise you.**

**Linda19: Thank you. I appreciate readers like you. :)**

**Anyway, here it is, the long-awaited gender reveal chapter. You'll be thanking me later. lol, trust me, the drama's just about to begin!**

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><p>Karen tied up the last of the balloons and took a moment to survey the room, hoping everything was ready for Brooke's baby shower. Brooke was 30 weeks pregnant and was just about ready to have her baby. Only a few weeks left to go. Karen smiled at the accomplishment and walked into the kitchen to prepare the food. She saw Brooke, out of the corner of her eye, stumble into the kitchen for breakfast. She smiled when she caught sight of her.<p>

"First thing in the morning and you look beautiful." Karen chuckled.

"I don't _feel_ beautiful." Brooke groaned. "I feel like a whale. And not one of those small whales, one of the big ones. Which one's the biggest?"

"Uh, a blue whale."

"Right. I feel like a blue whale... that's menstruating... and has diabetes." Karen chuckled.

"Honey, you're pregnant. That's how you're suppose to feel!"

Brooke groaned in frustration. "I really wish someone would've told me that before!" She whined.

"Well, you've only got eight weeks left, right?"

"That's the plan." She sighed, sitting down. "Karen... thank you... for helping me out this far. I really appreciate all of it."

"It's nothing Brooke."

"No, it's not 'nothing'... It's everything. I mean, I can imagine when you went through this- how scared you must've been. Doing it alone... I wouldn't have been able to do this without your help a-and Lucas for that matter."

"Can I ask you something Brooke?" Karen asked, leaning against the counter.

"Anything."

"Has Lucas been treating you right?"

Brooke chuckled lightly. "He has been treating me like... a _goddess_. He's been treating me better than I deserve, to be honest. I don't really deserve him."

"Of course you do Brooke."

"Yeah but... Karen, I've dated a lot of guys and I guarantee you that not a single one of them would've stuck around to help me with this. Lucas is... one in a million."

"He is, isn't he?"

"I feel like the luckiest girl in the whole world... and I get to start a family with him now. Is that crazy or what?" Brooke laughed.

"It is... but it's a lot of hard work... and especially in your case."

"I know. And... for the first time since I found out I was pregnant... I feel ready. You know, I'm not scared, I'm not nervous... I feel confident." Brooke smiled.

"That's good. You've grown a lot Brooke."

"Yeah... I just wish my mom could see that."

"Listen Brooke... if your mom doesn't see that already... she's no mother at all. And she's nothing like the mother that you'll be in a few weeks."

"You really mean that?"

"I do."

"Thank you."

"Anytime."

"So... where is my baby daddy?" Brooke joked, changing the atmosphere.

"Lucas went out for a bit. He's at the rivercourt."

"Oh. So where's he going for his birthday today?"

"Not sure. He hasn't told me yet, but he said he had something big planned."

Brooke smiled. "Good. I'm glad he's doing something for him. He's been doing everything for me lately and hasn't had time for himself."

"That sounds like Lucas." Karen laughed.

"Anyway, I'm gonna get ready for the baby shower." When Brooke had finished getting showered and dressed, Haley and Nathan had already arrived. Brooke stepped out into the living room, surprised to see them there so early. Haley looked at Brooke and smiled, almost ready to cry.

"Oh... Brooke, look at you!" She squealed. "You're glowing! Isn't she glowing Nathan?"

"I guess so. Can't really tell how but... if you say so, Hales." Nathan said, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Oh, stop it. Brooke, you look absolutely stunning today." Haley said, giving her friend a hug.

"Thank you." Brooke replied.

"I'm just kidding. Brooke, you look really nice today." Nathan said, smiling. Brooke smiled back and nodded.

"Where's Lucas?" Haley asked.

"He's at the rivercourt." Brooke answered.

"What? He's not coming?"

"No, he's not."

"Why not?"

"It's his birthday, Hales. Karen and I wanted him to go out and do something for him and not spend every waking moment with me."

"Aww, that's sweet. Who else are we waiting on?"

"We're waiting for Keith to get back with the cake and then it's just Peyton."

"Ooh..." Nathan interrupted. "I saw Peyton with Lucas on our way here."

"What?" Brooke asked, confused.

"And they weren't going to the rivercourt."

"Well, where were they going?" Haley asked, just as surprised as Brooke.

"I have no idea... They-they were probably just... picking up a present for you." Nathan added, trying to make the situation a little less messy. Brooke feigned a smiled trying to pretend the situation wasn't bothering her a little. She already had to deal with Lucas cheating on her the first time with Peyton and, she would never admit it out loud but, she felt as though when she got further along in her pregnancy that Lucas was slipping away from her. She didn't want to believe it because she really believed Lucas had changed, knowing he was going to become a father in a matter of weeks.

"Right! Right, they probably were getting a present for you Brooke... Harmless." Haley added.

"Right..."

"Oh! Speak of the devil!" Haley said when Peyton walked in the front door with a gift in her hand.

"What, I'm a devil now?" Peyton laughed.

"You are when you don't show up on time." Haley joked.

"Sorry! It just took me forever to get this present! I didn't mean to be late."

"It's okay Peyton," Brooke answered. "You're not late."

"Good, beacuse I was afraid you were gonna kill me." Peyton joked. Peyton set down her gift and hugged Brooke. "Hi, B. Davis." Peyton smiled.

"Hi..." Brooke frowned.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Peyton asked, noticing she was upset. "If it makes you feel any better, I can still fit my arms around your waist." She joked.

"It's not that." Brooke said, trying not to laugh. "It's just... my hormones are getting all worked up." She lied.

"Oh, I'm sorry. But, hey, in a few weeks that'll all be over with, right?"

"Nope." Karen butted in. They all laughed.

"Where's Lucas?" Peyton asked.

"I thought he was coming with you." Brooke answered.

"Uh, no, I-I haven't seen him all day."

"Oh... Well, he's not coming. We're just waiting on-" Brooke was interrupted when Keith walked in the door with a cake.

"Keith Scott in the house!" He paraded as he walked in the door.

"Keith, stop it. We all know that you're just as cool as I am and... that's not much." Haley joked.

"Are you kidding? I'm way cooler than you. What's her nickname, Brooke?" Keih asked.

"Tutor girl." Brooke laughed.

"Oh, that's right... Wait, I think I'm the one that came up with that."

"Hey!" Haley laughed. "Can we just get started?" Before anyone was able to sit down and open presents, Lucas walked in the door. Brooke practically ran over to Lucas and hugged him tightly.

"You ready?" He asked, looking at the door to the nursery. She nodded. "Okay... Hales! We need to borrow you for a second." He smiled. Lucas grabbed Haley's hand and pulled her toward the nursey. "Come on everyone! Up!" They all walked over to the nursery, anxious.

Haley gasped. "Do we get to find out the sex?"

"Yep... right now." Lucas smiled.

"Now, Hales, all you have to do is walk in, look at the paint color... and walk out." Brooke smiled. "Then tell everyone the sex."

"Oh, my god, I'm so excited!" Haley said, jumping up and down.

"All right, go!" Lucas said, opening the door for Haley to go inside. Haley walked inside and everyone waited to hear Haley make some sort of remark, but they didn't hear anything. They stood there a while, wondering why Haley hadn't said anything yet. She walked out of the nursery with a confused look on her face.

"So?" Nathan asked.

"What's the sex?" Peyton added.

"...Uh... I-I don't know..." Haley answered, scratching her head.

"Well, what's the color?" Peyton asked.

"... Green."

"Green?" Nathan asked.

"Green." Haley assured.

"I don't get it." Peyton said, looking at Lucas.

"Brooke?" Lucas looked at her, smiling.

"The walls are green because..." Brooke tried to build the anticipation. "Lucas and I are having twins." She blurted. "One boy, one girl."

"Oh my god, are you serious?" Haley asked. Brooke nodded. "Oh, my god!" Haley hugged Brooke and then hugged Lucas. Just about everyone in the room was stunned except for Karen, Keith, and of course Brooke and Lucas. Everyone was excited and cheering, happy as ever. "Twins? That's crazy, Brooke!" Haley laughed.

"Yeah, I know. Luckily, we're prepared. I mean, did you see how much stuff we have in that nursery?" Brooke laughed.

"What do you mean?" Haley asked.

"Well, that nursery is filled with stuff for the babies."

"Uh... no it's not." Haley said, opening the door. "Besides the paint, it's empty, Brooke."

"What?" Brooke ran inside the nursery, confused as hell. Lucas followed in after her.

"Brooke-"

"What the hell? Lucas, what the hell happened in here?"

"Look, I wanted to tell you earlier-"

"Where is all our stuff?"

"It's in our apartment." Lucas revealed.

"Lucas... we don't have an apartment."

"We do now." Brooke looked at Lucas, stunned, unable to speak for a moment. "Peyton helped me... we took all the stuff from the nursery and put it in the new apartment. I was going to wait until later to tell you but... here we are."

"Luke... you... you got us an apartment?"

"No..." Lucas put his hand on Brooke's stomach. "I got _us_ an apartment... Brooke, we're starting a family together and that means we need to start becoming adults... Now, I realize we'll still need help, but that doesn't mean we need to get it from my mom's house. We can do it from our own place."

"Luke... I..."

"You can't say no because I already paid rent for the first three months." He laughed.

"Lucas... this is what you spent your birthday doing?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because... for once, I'm not doing something for you and I'm not doing something for me... I'm doing it for us. And I figured, if I'm gonna be a dad soon then... this is a start. So? What do you say?"

"... Okay." Brooke smiled. "When do we move in?" Lucas laughed and kissed Brooke on the forehead. For the first time in months, Brooke felt like she was on her way to a good life. She had the guy, she had a place to live, a stable financial state and was about to bring two people into the world- something Brooke Davis never thought to be possible. Things were starting to look up... for now.

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><p><strong>Author's note: So, I'd like to tell you WHY I picked what I picked, but... you have to wait... I don't want to give too much away. And thank you again for being so patient with me, you guys, it means a lot. Please review!<strong>


	8. Author's Note Baby Names

robinscorpiofan put a very important thought in my head. I haven't considered any names for the Brucas twins...

Do you all have any suggestions for me? I would need a first name and middle name for each child and I will take more than just one entry.

All you have to do is review this chapter with your entry and I'll pick the best. However, I might mix up first and middle names. I also might not pick any of the suggestions if something comes to me, but the sooner I have names the sooner I can write. I really would like to hear your ideas, though, it would help me out a lot. I'll be sure to credit you if I like your name enough to pick it. :)

Suggest away!


	9. Author's Note 2 UPDATES

**Just giving you all a heads up! I'm not sure when there will be another update for this story. Hopefully it won't be long, but I can't say for sure. School starts up again tomorrow (1/4/12) for me, and I have a MOUND of AP Language and Composition work that I have to finish by Friday (1/6/12). I'm doing all I can to get my school work done in time and be able to have time to do things for me. I really love writing this story and I'm trying to make sure I keep this updated. On top of that, I'm trying to see what I can do to get into NYFA over the summer this year for a four-week screenwriting camp in New York. Tuition for it is REALLY expensive, so obviously I also have to work to get the mony for it. I'm also looking to what colleges I can apply to seeing as how I'm going to gradute High School next year. Time just isn't on my side lately. Luckily, for all of you, if you need a One Tree Hill fix from my story, One Tree Hill is starting back up on the 11th next week! Awesome! I promise you all that Brooke will have the babies before season 9 starts up. Is that okay with all of you? I'm sorry that I keep flaking on all of you, but even on break I'm stressed out. I hope you all understand. And, again, thank you so much for reading. It means a lot! 3**


	10. 32 weeks to 33 weeks

**Author's Note: OMG, it's tonight! I can't express how crazy excited I've been today. I spent all day typing this up for you guys, and I hope it reaches your standards. I appreciate ALL of your suggestions for baby names, and I'm happy to tell you all that I have decided on names. You'll find out what they are very very soon.**

**VFBFan: To be honest, I was surprised because that's what I was originally going to do and I didn't expect so many people to be on the same page as me and I want to keep my readers guessing. **

**BellaZedd: Thank you. That's what I hope to accomplish most when I write fanfictions. To know that people hear that means a lot.**

**DANI OTH: This story isn't over yet. You'll see what I mean later...**

**X-Hush-HushX: Thank you. I never really changed what kind of guy Lucas is in this story in regards to how he is in the show... but that isn't always a good thing, keep that in mind.**

**For those of you that are watching OTH tonight, good luck to you. Don't die from excitement. I'm surprised I lived long enough to post this. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as sort of a 'welcome back' from being gone so long. And what better day to post? Thank you and enjoy!**

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><p>Lucas walked in the door with the last box in his hands. He looked at Brooke, watching her sleep on the couch. The couch was the only thing they owned that was where it need to be. He smiled and chuckled a little, knowing how tired Brooke was. He knew it was normal, though. She was nearing the end of her pregnancy, but she still had six weeks left. He wakled over to her and rubbed her shoulder. "Brooke?" He chuckled. "Brooke." He said, shaking her awake. "Well, well. Good morning gorgeous."<p>

"Wh... what time is it?" She yawned, rubbing her eyes.

"It's well past nine." He said, brushing his fingers through her hair. "Let me set the bed up so you can get some sleep." He whispered, kissing her on the head. He started to walk away, but felt a tug on his arm.

"No... stay." She smiled. "We can unpack later, I-I just wanna sit with you right now."

"Okay." He smiled, sitting next to her. "What's up?"

"Mmm, nothing really. I just wanted to sit with you." Lucas put his arm around Brooke and his other arm over Brooke's round belly.

"You know what I love most about all of this?"

"Hmm?"

"We're both growing up a lot. When we were together the first time, I was self-concious and you were-"

"A slut?" She deadpanned.

"That's not what I was going to say."

"What _were_ you going to say?"

"I was actually going to say that, unlike me, you were very confident. You took control all the time. Then when this happened... you changed. You know, you realized that there are things in this world that you can't handl alone. I learned to be a little more independent because of this, and you learned to be more... dependent."

"Isn't a bad thing to be dependent all the time? Doesn't that make you weak?"

"Well, you're not dependent _all_ the time. You're strong, Brooke, but it's okay to let someone else be strong for you sometimes."

"Really?"

"Of course. Brooke, I would be woried if _you_ weren't worried. It's totally normal."

"Good, because I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about all of this."

"Well, don't worry about it. Everything's going to be fine. The babies'll be born healthy and we're gonna take them to our new home and we'll be great parents."

"Well, I know _you'll_ be a great dad. You were raised by Karen and Keith." She chuckled lightly.

"You'll be a good, mom, Brooke... I know it."

"Mmm, I don't think so. Have you _met_ my parents?"

"Yeah, but you're nothing like your mom and that's what's so great about you. I can't really speak for your dad, but it can't be much worse." Lucas smiled but it soon faded when he saw the expression on Brooke's face. "What's wrong pretty girl?"

"My mom disowned me... officially... I mean, literally, I'm not her kid anymore... legally." Brooke frowned. "My mom hates me."

"She doesn't hate you."

"Yes, she does."

"Brooke."

"Lucas, you don't get my parents. My mom resents me and my dad ignores me... The never even wanted me to be born."

"Brooke, if they didn't want you, they didn't have to keep you. You know that right?"

"My grandparents made them... said it would teach them responsibility... what they were actually doing wat punishing them."

"You think by raising you they were being punished? That doesn't make any sense."

"Sure it does. My parents were my age when I was born and they were more screwed up than me... I made them fight all the time."

"You didn't _make_ them fight." Brooke fought back tears.

"_We wouldn't have to worry about putting dinner on the table if there wasn't a third mouth to feed!" _She said, mimicking her mom. "_Well, you had the kid, you should be the one with the job!" _She said, mimicking her dad. "_She's your daughter too; it's not fair that I'm the only one raising her!"_... It's like a broken record..." Lucas knew there was nothing he could say to change Brooke's opinion of her parents.

"Well, that doesn't have to affect you... and your parenting. I think you'll do fine."

"You think so?"

"I know it." He smiled. "Brooke Davis is gonna change the world someday." Brooke smiled and leaned into Lucas's chest, breathing heavily. "You okay?"

"Mm-hmm. I just can't breathe with all the love in this room." Lucas laughed and kissed Brooke on the head.

"I love you too pretty girl." Brooke and Lucas sat there for several more hours before falling asleep on the couch. It wasn't much longer until there were to become a real family.

;

;

;

;

Brooke fumlbed onto the Rivercourt, watching Nathan play basketball. She saw Haley sitting on the bench and smiled. "Hey 23!" You need anothe cheerleader over there?" Nathan laughed, thinking how funny it was that his wife had become a cheerleader.

"Brooke, did you walk here?" He asked, out of breath.

"Yeah."

"Brooke! You need to be taking it easy!" She said, walking over to her.

"Oh, it's fine. I didn't walk that far."

"Well, where's Luke?" Nathan asked.

"I don't know, he said he had to do something important. He has the car, that's why I walked... But anyway, how are you guys? How's married life treating you?"

"We're good, we're good." Nathan smiled. "Things are going good. And what about you? You're getting close right?"

"Yeah. I'm at thirty-three weeks... five more to go." She smiled. "I wanna thank you... both of you. For helping out me and Lucas through all of this."

"Brooke, of course. We were happy too." Haley rebutted. "You and Lucas both deserve it."

"Thank you." Brooke smiled. "I honestly don't think I could've done this without you guys and Keith and Karen... and Lucas of course."

"And Peyton." Haley added.

"Well, to be totally honest, Peyton hasn't really been involved a lot. I mean, she's helped, but I just feel like we're still distant because of this whole thing... I don't know..."

"It'll all work out, Brooke." Haley asked, not sure if what she was saying was going to be helpful to Brooke.

"I hope so." Brooke clenched her eyes tight all of a sudden and exhaled sharply, almost as if she was in pain.

"Brooke, you okay?" Haley asked, slightly panicked. Nathan reacted fast.

"Here, sit down." He said, walking with her over to the bench.

Brooke groaned, her eyes still closed. "Ow... No, I-I think I'm okay." Just as Brooke opened her eyes, a new wave of pain went through her. She screamed out and Nathan and Haley ran right to her. Nathan grabbed her hand as she squeezed tightly and Haley rubbed her back.

"It's okay, It's okay." Haley said, freaking out.

"Hales, I think we should take her to the hospital." Nathan said, urgently.

"Are you sure?" Haley asked.

Brooke let go of Nathan's hand. "No, no, I'm fine. They're probably just false labor pains.. Ow!" Brooke screamed out in pain again.

"No, we're going." Nathan said, jumping up. He and Haley walked Brooke over to Nathan's car and started driving off. Haley was in the backseat with Brooke, reminding her to keep breathing. Nathan handed Haley his cellphone. "Haley, call Luke." Haley nodded and frantically dialed the number, hoping everything was going to be okay.

;

;

;

Lucas kicked the side of his car and banged on the roof. Peyton stood a few feet away, watching this.

"Luke, relax. It's just a car."

"It's not just a car. Keith and I were working on this for a long time and all of a sudden it just doesn't work anymore... This car meant a lot to us."

"You can get it fixed... It's just engine problems right?"

"Yeah, but _I _can't even figure it out."

"Well, call Keith and have him come down and take a look at it."

"I can't... I can't tell him my car's not working anymore. He'll be so pissed... Besides, we're in _the middle of nowhere_... do you even remember where we are?"

"Not really." Peyton laughed. "I thought the driver would've been paying attention." She cackled.

"Not funny, Peyton." He said, trying not to laugh with her. "We have to get home soon..." He said looking at the sun.

"Why? What's up?"

"No... I just.. I don't want Brooke to suspect anything..."

"Do you think she does?"

"I don't know. I mean, it's Brooke... doesn't she always suspect something to be wrong?"

"You've got a point." As soon as their conversation got silent, a ringtone went off. "That's you." Lucas reached in his pocket and pulled out his cellphone.

"It's Haley." He picked up the phone. "Hey Hales... What?... Wh-when?... Uh... God... Uh, yeah... yeah I'll, uh... I'll... be there soon. Thanks for letting me know." Lucas hung up his phone with a shocked look on his face.

"Lucas, what's up?"

"It's Brooke..." Lucas looked at Peyton and smiled. "She's having our baby...!" Peyton smiled and hugged Lucas.

"Oh my God, now?"

"Yeah..." Lucas realized something. "... And we're stuck here..." Lucas looked at Peyton, hoping they could figure out what to do. Brooke was on her way to the hospital, possibly in labor... and Lucas could miss it.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: So, while I did give you a chapter after being gone so long, I can't NOT leave you with a little cliffhanger. I hopefully won't take as long to update from here on out unless told otherwise. I'm really glad you guys are still reading. I appreciate it! Review!<strong>

**(People have told me that they don't review because they don't have an account on here. Even if you don't have an account you can review, so please do!)**


	11. 33 weeks

**__Author's Note: I honestly think this is the longest chapter I've ever had. I really hope it lives up to your standards. I hope you all watched the season 9 premiere and loved it as much as I did. But this is a different story, isn't it? :) Well, this is what you guys have been waiting for, for so long. It might not be what you expect but everything will unfold and turn into a wonderful story in the end. THANK YOU ALL for your awesome reviews! XHush-HushX, Bella Zed, Hayley, lalabelle, Libby, ReadingRed, arubagirl0926, paigematthewsfan21, fireangel08, BpDs89, Isabel camilla Scott, dianehermans, and Ace5492. You guys are awesome!**

**Hayley: That's for you all to decide, right?**

**lalabelle: This is Brooke Davis we're talking about. She wouldn't just be okay with it if that was the case, would she?**

**Libby: Your intuitions are good. :) Read this chapter to the end.**

**ReadingRed: You'll find out in chapter 10. :)**

**arubagirl0926: Really? I imagined it would be better in my head, and it didn't come out the way I wanted it.**

**fireangel08: She's not too early for the babies to be born unhealthy, but if something goes wrong, it could be bad. **

**Again, you guys rock. I know this chapter is pretty long, but I hope it's worth it. Lot's of Brooke/Karen and Brooke/Nathan in this chapter. I was going to strip the delivery scene from this, but I think it's better with it. Let me know if you think it's better with or without, because I honestly don't know if I made the right choice. I'd like to think I did, but i'm not sure. Anyway, enjoy!**

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><p>Nathan, Haley and Brooke stormed into the ER with Nathan holding Brooke's waist and Haley clutching her hand. Brooke was sweating and breathing heavily by this point. It had only been fifteen minutes, and she already knew that what she was going through was not false labor. "You're gonna be okay, Brooke. It's gonna be okay, just breathe." Haley said, panicking but trying to be supportive for Brooke. Nathan approached the recptionist. "Excuse me. Uh, my friend is having a baby." He said, trying to be the rock of the situation.<p>

"Okay." The receptionsit smiled. "Who's your OB?" She asked Brooke.

"Dr. Stanton." She answered, breathing heavily. Nathan and Haley were both confused as to what the two were talking about even though nothing confusing happened. They just didn't know anything about having a baby.

"I'll page him." The receptionist smiled. Nathan and Haley had Brooke sit down in the waiting room.

"Brooke, you're sure you're in labor?" Haley asked.

"I'm pretty sure." Brooke said, clenching her teeth. "Ow! Hand." Brooke reached out her hand and Nathan grabbed ahold as she squeezed tightly, in pain.

"But I thought you still had a few weeks left in the pregnancy." Haley said, rubbing her back and shushing her.

"So did I." Brooke said in between breaths. Brooke's doctor walked in with a nurse, both surprised to see her.

"Brooke. You weren't suppose to be here this early." He said, looking at her paperwork. "You still have five weeks."

"I know, but it's not liked I have a choice, do I?"

"No, you don't." He chuckled. "How far apart are your contractions?"

"I haven't been able to time them." She said, scrunching her eyebrows.

"That's okay. We can figure it out... Right this way." He said, helping her into the wheelchair. Nathan and Haley walked beside Brooke, both holding her hand.

"Where's Lucas?" Brooke asked, looking at Haley.

"I don't know. He said he'd be here. I'm sure he'll be here soon."

"I hope so."

After ten minutes, Brooke was prepped and her babies were ready to be born, but she wasn't ready for her babies to be born. She laid in the hospital bed with Haley brushing Brooke's hair out of her eyes.

"You guys don't have to do all of this for me." She said, breathing heavily. "I appreciate it, but it's really not necessary."

"Yes it is." Nathan said from the chair he was sitting in. "You're our friend, Brooke. We want to help you."

"We'd do anything for you, Brooke." Haley smiled.

"Thank you. I hope you guys know I'd do the same for you."

"Well... that's good because..." Haley looked at Nathan and he nodded at her. "We have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

"... Nathan and I are pregnant."

"What? Haley, that's awesome!"

"Is it really?"

"Yes! You guys, I'm so happy for you!"

"Really? Because we're really freaked out."

"Don't be. Childbirth is a wonderful- Ow! Oowww! Contraction!" Haley let Brooke squeeze her hand. "That was poor timing." She laughed as her contraction died down. "Seriously, though, guys, you're gonna be fine. At least this time it couldn't happen to a more stable couple."

"Thank you, Brooke." Haley smiled.

"We just didn't want to tell someone that would judge us." Nathan said.

"There's always gonna be someone out there like that, Nate. You get used to it. You guys'll be fine... I'm really happy for you two." They all jumped when they heard a knock at the door, expecting Lucas to walk in. It was Keith and Karen. "Oh Karen, Keith, thank God!" They all laughed when she said that.

"Hi, Brooke. How are you feeling?" Karen asked, walking up to her.

"Okay, I guess... Um... can I talk to you alone, Karen?"

"Sure." Nathan and Haley got the hint and left the room.

"You can stay Keith." Brooke smiled. He closed the door when Nathan and Haley left.

"What's up Brooke?" Karen smiled.

"I can't do this!" She blurted. Karen and Keith were both surprised. "I can't do this. I-I'm in too much pain, Karen, I can't!" Brooke said, crying in frustration.

Karen chuckled. "Brooke, you're suppose to be in pain."

"The doctor said that my blood pressure's too high and I think it's because I'm in so much pain. Karen I can't do this, I can't!"

"Brooke... Calm down... Breathe, okay?" Karen put her hand on Brooke's belly.

"Do you want to hear a story, Brooke?" Keith asked, pulling up a chair. "It was the night of the Senior dance at Tree Hill high... seventeen years ago. And I went with Karen as her date. By that time she was nine months pregnant with Lucas and really shouldn't have left the house that night. Well it was around nine in the evening and Karen told me she had to go to the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later one of her friends came to get me because they told me that her water broke. So, I ran out of the dance, like a fool and swept Karen up and threw her in my car to drive to the hospital. Because I was driving around like a maniac, I got lost. And I was never really good at working a gps... Needless to say, my car broke down and Karen and I were stranded in the middle of nowhere for a long time."

"Oh my God, what'd you do?"

"I helped Karen deliver Lucas that night... In the back of my car... In the middle of nowhere." Keith laughed.

Brooke laughed with him. "Does Lucas know that?"

"No." Karen laughed. "We never told him."

"So even with all that going on," Keith's laughter started to subside, "Karen and I got through it. And you'll be fine too."

"Thank you." Brooke smiled.

"Anytime." Keith smiled back. "And I also wanted to tell you that Karen and I have been more than thrilled to have you as part of our family. You're a wonderful girl and I hope, in a little while, my big-headed nephew is going to have the most adorable children."

"Thank you, Keith." Brooke smiled.

"And it's not because they're going to take after their dad either." Brooke laughed out loud when Keith said that. "You're gonna be just fine, Brooke."

"What he said." Karen added. They all laughed.

"Oh! Ooh..." Brooke clutched onto her stomach.

"What is it sweetie? Another contraction?" Karen asked.

"Uh... No, my... my water's breaking." She said, a little embarrassed. Karen put her hand on Brooke's thigh.

"That's okay, honey. Let me get you a doctor." She said, getting up. Keith stopped her.

"No, no I'll get the doctor, you stay here with Brooke." Karen nodded and Keith left the room.

Brooke chuckled lightly. "Well, _this_ isn't embarrassing." She said, sarcastically.

"It's okay, sweetie." Karen smiled. "That just means we're getting closer to meeting those babies." Brooke smiled. "There's nothing to be nervous about." Brooke exhaled deeply.

"Okay... Okay, I trust you Karen. _Nothing to be nervous about_." Keith walked in moments later with Dr. Stanton and shut the door behind them.

"Your water broke?" He asked her. Brooke nodded. "Good. Let's take a look then." The doctor positioned her legs into the stirrups and checked to see how dilated she was. Brooke winced in pain, loudly. "Sorry about that... You're about eight centimeters dilated and almost ninety percent effaced. Which means you should be ready to have your babies soon."

"Is it too late to do a C-section? Because if you checking my dilation hurt that much, I can't imagine it the other way around." She joked.

"Unfortunately, it is too late to do a C-section." The doctor said, taking his gloves off.

"Don't you usually perform a C-section when the mother has twins?" Karen asked.

"Usually, yes, but cecarean sections are extremely dangerous and because of the prematurity of the baby and the age of the mother, I wouldn't want to take the chance. Delivery by surgery is much more dangerous than a vaginal delivery. This is the better option."

"Ooh... Um, Dr. Stanton, why does it feel like I have to start pushing now?" Brooke asked, through heavy breaths.

"Let's find out." While the doctor was putting a new pair of gloves on, Haley barged into the room.

"Hey, Brooke, um... that was Luke... He told me that his car broke down and he's trying to find a way to get here."

"What? Well, where is he?" Brooke sat up, panicked.

"He said he doesn't know. He's with Peyton."

"Oh my God!" Brooke shouted, lying back down.

"Relax Brooke. He was probably just giving Peyton a ride when they broke down."

"It's not that! He needs to be here!"

Dr. Stanton butted in. "Well, it looks like he's going to have to miss it. It's time for you to start pushing, Brooke."

"What? No, no! I can't! The-the father needs to be here!"

"I'm sorry, Brooke... We can't make them wait."

"But, I can't... I can't do this alone!" She said, freaking out. Karen grabbed Brooke's hand.

"You're not alone, Brooke. I'm here, and Haley's here, Keith, Nathan... We're all here for you." Karen smiled.

"... I'm scared..." She whimpered.

"It's okay to be scared... But we're here. Okay? We're not gonna leave you." Haley went back out to get Nathan and closed the door when they were ready. Keith and Karen held her hands while Nathan and Haley were by her head. Nathan held her back up, rubbing it and Haley ran her fingers through Brooke's hair.

"Take a few deep breaths Brooke." The doctor said. Brooke did as she was told. "Alright, now, when I tell you to push, you gotta do it for ten seconds at a time, okay?" Brooke nodded. "Okay, on three... One... Two... Three." Brooke started pushing, trying her best not to scream. She pushed for about six seconds before she had to stop. "Okay, all right... Try it again, and this time, try and make it to ten seconds. Ready?... Push. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven-"

Brooke stopped. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry. AGH! It just hurts really bad!" She cried.

"I know, I know. It's okay... Just try again, okay?" Brooke nodded. "Aaaannnddd... Push! One, Two, Three, Four-"

Brooke stopped again. "I'm sorry!"

"Brooke, you're gonna have to push harder. If you don't push ten seconds between contractions, your babies could suffocate in the birth canal. You _have _to push harder." He urged her.

"I can't!" She cried. Nathan reacted on this, hating to see her in pain.

"Brooke, look at me, okay? Look at me." She turned her head and looked at Nathan with tears in her eyes. "Look at me... and push... Okay? As hard as you can. You can do it. Just think about Lucas... and think about those babies... Ready?..." Brooke nodded. "Now push. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten." Brooke screamed out in frustration when she made it to ten. "Good, good... Do it again."

"It really hurts!" She cried.

"I know. I know it does. Do it again. Ready?... Push. One, two, three, four, five, six-"

"Ugh! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm trying!"

"I know. It's okay, it's okay." Nathan knew, after what the doctor said that it _wasn't _okay, but he didn't want to make things worse for Brooke. What she needed at that moment was to calm down. "Try it again. You can do it... Push. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight nine, ten."

"OH MY GOD!" She screamed.

"It's okay. It's okay. Again, come on. Ready?... Pu-"

Dr. Stanton stopped them. "Wait! Nurse Lee bring in Dr. Phillips and Dr. Reid tell them they're needed here for delivery of a breech baby."

Haley jumped up. "Breech? What is that?"

Dr. Stanton turned his attention back to Brooke. "It means the baby is being born in the wrong position. That's why it's so hard for Brooke to push."

"Wh-what do I have to do?" Brooke asked, in so much pain.

"There isn't anything you can do. Just keep pushing." Nathan helped Brooke push about six more times after they heard the news. "Just one more push, Brooke." He smiled.

"Ready Brooke?" Nathan asked. "You're doing great." He said, holding the side of her head. "Now push. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight-" Brooke screamed out one final time when she hit seven seconds. By eight, her first baby was born. Dr. Stanton held up Brooke's baby for them all to see. The baby's head fell to its side, with no support for its neck.

"Congratulations Brooke... Here's your baby boy!" He smiled. The baby, surprisingly, didn't cry... at all. The nurse took the baby and went to clean him off as they prepared for the delivery of their baby girl.

"Brooke, you have a son!" Haley cheered.

"You did great Brooke!" Nathan laughed. Brooke suddenly wasn't in pain. She cried and she laughed, but she wasn't in pain. She had a baby.

"Just a few more minutes and you'll be done, Brooke." Dr. Stanton said. Brooke pushed again to start the delivery of her second baby and wasn't in as much pain. While she was pushing for the second time, Dr. Phillips tried to get Dr. Stanton's attention.

"Doctor... The baby's heart rate just dropped." Dr. Stanton looked at the monitor, alarmed.

"Dr. Phillips, you need to evacute everyone from the room... Now."

"What? What's-what's going on?" Brooke asked, freaking out. Nobody knew how to answer her; the people that did, wouldn't. Nathan, Haley, Keith and Karen were forced out of the room, not knowing what was happening. Moments later, from outside of the delivery room, they heard a shrill scream from inside. They waited for the sound of a baby's cry... nothing. They all looked at each other, frightened. About ten minutes later Dr. Stanton walked out with a solemn look on his face.

"Is everything okay?" Karen asked, jumping out of her seat.

"... I'm afraid I have some bad news..." Everyone's hearts dropped when they heard that sentence. They thought that was the hardest thing they had to hear, but that changed after they heard what the doctor had to say...

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><p><strong>Author's Note: : I don't know what else to say about that. Let me know what you think about this chapter.**


	12. 33 weeks part 2

**Author's Note: I was a little skeptical about posting this chapter so soon because I finished it a while back. I think it's a little too short, but I figure that I keep you guys waiting long enough most days. I want to thank ALL of you for your reviews and unfortunately, some of you are going to be very very upset with me when this chapter is over with. But PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don't stop reading because of it. I have some pretty great things planned and I know you'll all appreciate it. Thank you all so much for reading this far! paigematthewsfan21, Bella Zed, OTH12, lalabelle, Libby, Ace5492, craxygirl54, arubagirl0926, hprandom554, ReadingRed, fireangel08, dianehermans. You guys are amazing!**

**paigematthewsfan21: I figured that would be the best time to bring it into the story. I wanted Jamie to be in the story eventually, and it's not that far off from when it really happened. **

**Bella Zed: Your review made me cry! It's comments like that, that make me want to keep writing. Thank you so much!**

**Libby: Unfortunately, I already made the decision to do so long before I wrote them having twins. lol. I wanted the boy also and I had to spice things up when people kept asking for it so it wouldn't seem like I was writing what you all wanted me to. lol, poor coincidence is all it is.**

**craxygirl54: Thanks for all the reviews. Yes, it's definitely going to bring drama into this story. Brooke will not be pleased.**

**arubagirl0926: I was hoping more people would like the Brathan stuff in here. I know how crazy people get over them. lol**

**hprandom554: Would I seriously kill Brooke? lmao, that means the story would end right then wouldn't it? lol, I assure you, I'm not killing Brooke.**

**Again, thank you all SO much for being so supportive of this story. It means a lot to me. Grab some tissues for this next chapter... And try to enjoy...**

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><p>Lucas rushed in the door, looking for Haley. Lucas and Peyton were finally able to get the car running and got to the hospital as fast as they could. Peyton dropped Lucas off so she could pick up Jake. He wandered around the hospital, trying to find Haley. He finally found her, standing outside of Brooke's hospital room, with her back turned away from him. "Haley!" He shouted with a smile on his face. His smiled disappated quickly when Haley turned around and he saw tears running down her face. Lucas stopped dead in his tracks, his heart nearly skipping a beat. "What? What is it? What's wrong?"<p>

"Luke..." Haley's voice shook. "I... I have some bad news..."

"How... how bad?" Lucas asked, shaking. "Is Brooke okay? Pease tell me she's okay!"

"Brooke's okay... She's fine... But..."

"Are the babies okay?" He asked, trying to get it out of her.

"No..." She whimpered. "The baby girl..." Haley had a hard time saying it. "The baby girl didn't make it." She cried. Lucas's heart dropped and his knees went weak.

"And the boy?" He quivered. "What about my son?"

"Your son's healthy." Haley smiled. "He's okay, he's... he's great. But... Luke, I'm sorry." She didn't know what else to say. Lucas started crying. "Lucas, say something... Tell me what you're feeling..."

He didn't know what to say. He was silent for a long time before his crying turned into ferocious wailing. He put his hand over his face, trying to stop himself from crying. "...I don't understand how this could happen...!" Lucas said, crying. "We were with Dr. Stanton yesterday... Yesterday everything was fine. Everything was fine." Haley's heart broke for Lucas. She put her arms around him and held him tightly.

"God, I'm so sorry, Luke... I didn't want to be the one to tell you." Haley rubbed her eyes. "But I didn't want you to hear it from some doctor... They wouldn't tell us what happened... I'm sorry." Lucas and Haley stood there, crying. They both got interrupted when they heard someone walk through the door. Their eyes grew wide when they saw Victoria standing there, upset. "Mrs. Davis... Hi." Haley said, surprised.

"I got a phone call... they told me something was wrong. What happened?" She asked frantically. Haley and Lucas didn't know what to say. They were shocked to see her there, even after getting an alarming phone call. "Well, don't just stand there! Somebody tell me what's happened to my daughter!"

"Mrs. Davis... You might want to sit down." Haley said, holding back tears.

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;

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Karen stood outside the hospital room with Lucas. She was with Brooke for the past half hour making sure she was okay while Lucas spoke with Dr. Stanton. "And they don't know what caused it?" Karen asked.

"No..." Lucas shook his head. "They don't know. They said in about 30% of the cases, they never know."

"... Did you see her?" A lump grew in Karen's throat.

"Yeah mom..." Lucas said, his voice breaking. "They let me see her." He said, crying. "They let me hold her. And then they let Brooke hold her when she woke up." He started bawling. Karen started crying as she hugged Lucas.

"Oh, Lucas, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." Karen said, holding him tightly. Victoria walked out of the hospital room, wiping away the few tears she had left on her face.

"It's my fault. I should've never let her do this... It's my fault." Victoria said, shaking her head.

"No, it's not your fault. The doctors say it's not anybody's fault." Lucas said, swallowing hard.

"I'm gonna go check on her again." Karen said, walking into the room. Brooke rolled over in bed and looked up at Karen. Karen heard her whimper and rushed over to her. "What, honey? What is it? What can I do for you?" She said, trying not to cry.

"I didn't do anything wrong." Brooke whispered. "I didn't do anything wrong, that's what they told me. The doctors said I didn't..." Brooke started crying. "I didn't do anything wrong!" She wailed.

Karen stroked Brooke's cheek, trying to make her feel better. "I know that. I know that Brooke. I know that. Of course you didn't do anything wrong." So Brooke wouldn't see her crying, Karen hugged Brooke with her face buried in the pillow. "Oh, sweetie, I love you."

;

;

;

"Luke!" Skills shouted from down the hallway. He walked in with Junk and Fergie and they were all excited looking.

"I got it, Luke, I got it." Keith said, walking up to Lucas's friends. The look on Keith's face sparked a feeling that went through everyone. He didn't even say anything.

"What's wrong? Is something wrong?" Skills asked.

"Yeah, unfortunately, something is wrong." He said, trying his best not to choke up.

Mouth walked in behind the other guys with some of the cheerleaders on Brooke's squad. "What's going on?" He asked, when he saw how upset everyone was.

"I've got some bad news for all of you." Keith cried. "Brooke's okay. But the baby... her baby girl didn't make it." Everyone's heads dropped. Mouth turned to Skills and they couldn't help but cry. They all tried to comfort each other as best as they could, but failed.

Peyton walked down the hallway with Jake right beside her, holding hands. "Wow... everyone's here. I guess news travels fast." Peyton smiled.

"It's okay. I'm sure Lucas will forgive us for being late." Jake said, kissing Peyton's hand. When they got closer, everyone started walking away, sad as can be. They all walked past Peyton and Jake. They looked at each other, frightened. Peyton caught sight of Keith who had tears in his eyes and walked up to him.

"Keith?" Her voice started shaking. "Everything's okay, right? With the babies?" Keith shook his head.

"No... No, everything's not okay." Peyton started crying and buried her head in Jake's chest. Jake held Peyton closely.

"What's going on?" Jake asked, almost crying.

"Hi..." Lucas said, stepping forward, crying.

"Lucas..." Jake was dumbfounded.

"Peyton..." Lucas's voice was strained. "Brooke's asking if she can please see you."

"I..." Peyton couldn't speak. "No, Luke, I can't." She cried, shaking her head.

"Peyton... Peyton, you have to, please... Brooke's asking..." He cried. Peyton, slowly walked into the hospital room, leaving Keith, Lucas and Jake in the hallway together.

"The baby was okay yesterday." Keith whispered. "Yesterday she was fine... but today she's gone." Keith started crying again. "Brooke and Lucas... Brooke and Lucas are never gonna be the same."

Peyton walked into the hospital room and saw Brooke, just lying there with no emotion. She didn't know what to say. "Brooke..." Brooke lifted her head and Peyton saw tears starting to well up in her eyes. Peyton reacted on this and laid down in bed next to Brooke, putting her arms around her. "I'm so sorry..." She cried. "I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry." Brooke moved her head and cried into Peyton's chest, loudly and furiously. "It's gonna be okay sweetie... You cry as long as you need to... It's okay."

Lucas, still outside, walked over to Nathan, trying to keep a calm exterior. Lucas put his back against the wall and exhaled, trying to stay calm, but lost it. He started crying and slide his back down the wall. Nathan got down on the ground with him, quickly, putting his hand on his shoulder.

"Luke... it's okay. It's gonna be okay." He said, trying to quiet him. "Everything's gonna be okay."

;

;

;

Lucas held Brooke while she slept. "Brooke?" He said, trying to wake her. She didn't react. Lucas sighed and looked up at the ceiling trying not to cry. "I'm sorry this had to happen to you, Brooke... To _us_... I'm so sorry... You didn't deserve this. None of this. And I'm sorry I caused this."

"You didn't." She whispered, her voice raspy.

"Brooke, you need to sleep."

"I know... I don't want to." She looked up at Lucas. "You didn't do this to me. It wasn't your fault."

"I got you pregnant, Brooke... It's my fault..."

"Lucas... _We_ got pregnant. Don't blame yourself, okay? Please... I couldn't handle it if you did that."

"And I don't think I can handle _this_!" He cried. "I can't do this, Brooke, I can't."

"You have to." Brooke cried. "Please... for me. Please..." She begged. Lucas nodded his head, crying.

"Okay... Okay, I'll try, Brooke... I'll try." Lucas hugged Brooke tightly and kissed her head. "We need a name." He deadpanned. "For our son... I haven't even thought about a name yet... Have you?"

"I want his middle name to be Keith. He means a lot to us... Or Nathan. Nathan's helped me a lot through this. And he's your brother."

"Okay... And his first name?"

"... Noah."

"Why Noah?"

"Noah means 'rest'... 'comfort'... And that's what I need right now."

"Noah Scott... I like it. And what about our baby girl?"

"I don't wanna name her." She said coldly.

"Brooke..."

"I don't want to name her, Lucas... I just don't." Brooke was done crying by this point. "I don't have a daughter." Lucas understood how she was feeling. He hugged her tightly.

"It's gonna be okay, Brooke... We'll get through this. You, me... and baby Noah. We'll be fine. Believe that."

"...No, I don't think so... I stopped believing a long time ago." Brooke and Lucas were so lost in that moment; they didn't know what to do.

_What were they going to do?_

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><p><em><em>**Author's Note: So there you have it. Sorry I had to do that, but it's going to have some serious relevance later on in the story. I hope you all don't stray from the story because of it. I think it'll be worth it. Also, we have a baby name now! Yay! Noah Keith Scott... and guess who's the godfather? Ah, of course you know who it is. He's gonna be in this story A LOT more now. Because someone else is going to be in it less and less... but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop writing for them. Things are going to start getting really intense, and in a few chapters, we're going to have a time-jump on our hands. WOAH! Review and let me know what you thought.**


	13. 0 months

**Author's Note: OMG WHAT A CHAPTER! I know I've kept you all waiting long enough with this story, and I'm trying the best I can to update at a steady pace. So, to make it fair on all of you, I've decided that I'm going to update ONE chapter EVERY Wednesday. That's right, on a schedule! I don't know if the next chapter is going to be _this_ Wednesday or _next _Wednesday, but keep checking back to make sure. And of course, if I am unable to upload I'll update an author's note to let you know and will mention it on my twitter. :) Thank you all for reviews! paigematthewsfan21, ReadingRed, Tutourgirl23, hprandom554, BpDs89, XHush-HushX, Ace5492, fireangel08, dianehermans, alysef, OTH12, arubagirl0926, craxygirl54, robinscorpiofan, tanya2byour21, DANI OTH, and Libby. I'm pretty sure you are all my regulars, and at 11 chapters... you guys rock! I know you all were very worried the last few chapters, and had a lot of questions, so hopefully I can answer them.**

**paigematthewsfan21: That does, indeed, mean what you think it means. **

**ReadingRed: You will get your wish at the end of this chapter. :)**

**hprdandom554: That means a lot to hear people say they trust me with this story. The Brulian side of me would just split up BL and have Bju live in harmony, but I wrote this story for Brucas, and that's the way it's going to be in the end. ;)**

**XHush-HushX: I'm glad you thought I did the birthing scene well. I was skeptical as to whether or not I should've left it in, and I'm glad I did.**

**fireangel08: There'll always be bumps in the road... keep that in mind.**

**alysef: Karen, Keith and Haley will play big roles in Brooke's recovery and in Noah's life, but the person with the biggest influence on both of them is definitely going to be Nathan.**

**arubagirl0926: It's a good thing you liked it because there aren't going to be too many more of those...**

**robinscorpiofan: Oh, Jamie and Noah are going to be the best of friends in this story, don't you worry about that.**

**tanya2byour21: That's where the chapter's premise came from. I wanted it to be just like that scene. :) Sorry to hear about your friend. Hopefully she's as strong as is and they can get through it together!**

**DANI OTH: Don't ever worry about updating late. As long as you update, I'm okay with it. :) I think the reason I had Victoria show up, and cry at that, is because a lot of people that watch the show and read the first chapter she was in think of her as a bitch, and in reality, she's human like the rest of them. And while she does act like a bitch, she's still a mom and she still loves her daughter. That will have a little bit to do with Brooke's recovery later on.**

**You guys are spectacular, and your reviews are worth every word of this story I write. I thank you so much for your loyalty to my words and the stories I plan on telling. I hope you like what I do next with this story. Read, enjoy, and review!**

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><p>"Thanks for sticking around you guys." Lucas told Nathan and Haley as they walked down the halls of the hospital. It had only been three days since Brooke had been in the hospital and she and Lucas were ready to go home with their son.<p>

"It's not a problem." Haley smiled.

"Anything for you guys." Nathan said, putting his arm around Haley. "We know you've been dealing with a lot lately, so you need all the help you can get."

"Thanks. And we really do appreciated it, Nate."

"You're welcome. And if you guys need _anything_ just let us know, all right? Don't be a stranger."

"I won't. Thanks again." He said, hugging Haley goodbye. Just as they were walking away, Karen stepped out of Brooke's hospital room.

"Nathan? Haley? Brooke wants to talk to you before you leave." Nathan and Haley looked at each other before going nito the room. Haley smiled when she saw Brooke with Noah.

"Hi!" She whispered. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess. A little empty. I've been useed to having all this weight inside of me." She laughed dryly.

"I'll bet," Haley chuckled. "How's Noah?"

"He's okay."

"Really? Nothing went wrong? His breathing's good and everything?"

"Yeah, it's good now. The doctor said his coloring wasn't so good when he was born, so we have to keep an eye on it."

"I'm sure he'll be fine." Haley smiled.

"Yeah. He's a Scott boy." Nathan laughed.

"Wait, isn't he a Davis?" Haley asked.

"He's a Davis _for now_ but... you never know." Brooke smiled. Haley walked over and looked at Noah.

"He's so cute, Brooke! Oh, I'd kidnap him if I could!" Haley giggled.

"That's kinda what I wanted to talk to you guys about." Brooke said, picking up Noah off the bed as he started whimpering.

"You want us to kidnap him?" Nathan joked.

"No." Brooke laughed. "You guys have helped me out more than anyone else through all of this so... Haley, I want you to be the godmother and Nathan, I want you to be the godfather."

"Seriously?" Haley said in an excited tone.

"Seriously?" Nathan repeated in a shocked tone.

"Yes," Brooke said, "Lucas and I both agreed on it." She smiled.

"Well... what do you want us to do?" Haley asked, stll excited.

"You can start by holding him." Brooke said, "If you want."

"Hell yes!" Haley laughed. She, gingerly, picked up Noah and placed his belly against her chest. He jerked his arms a little and started whining loudly as soon as he was away from Brooke. "Oh! What'd I do?"

"Nothing." Brooke laughed as Haley handed him back to her. "He's not happy when anyone else is holding him. Not even Luke."

"Oh... okay, good. I thought I did something wrong." Haley chuckled. Brooke looked over at Nathan who seemed to be in a daze.

"You wanna try?" She asked him.

"Oh... No thanks." He smiled politely.

"Oh, just do it, you big wuss." Haley joked.

"All right, geez." Nathan laughed. Brooke handed Noah to Nathan and was shocked when he barely made a sound.

"Oh my god! That's not fair!" Haley whined.

"Guess he likes you Nate." Brooke smiled.

"Yeah, I guess so." He smiled. "Wow, he's so small..."

"I know." Brooke smiled. Haley saw the way Nathan looked at Noah and couldn't help but smile. They all turned when they heard a knock at the door. Lucas peered his head in and smiled.

"Hey guys." He said when he saw Nathan and Haley. "Hey pretty girl," he said, turning his attention to Brooke. "Doctor says we're ready for discharge. You okay to go home?"

"I think so." Brooke smiled. She looked back at Nathan and Haley. "Thank you guys."

"It's no problem." Haley smiled back. Lucas walked over to Brooke and picked up Noah.

"I got him." As soon as Lucas picked him up, he started wailing. Brooke chuckled.

"It's okay... _I_ got him." She laughed, taking him back from Lucas.

"Well, we're gonna go." Nathan said as he walked out the door with Haley. "Good to know everything's okay. If you need anything-"

"Just call... We know." Lucas laughed. "We got it, don't worry about it."

"Okay, bye!" Haley smiled as she walked out the door. "Bye Brooke. Bye Luke." She waved her fingers at Noah. "Bye Noah!" She said in a baby voice.

"Get out of here, will ya?" Lucas joked.

"All right, all right. I'm done." She said, closing the door. While Brooke put Noah in his car seat, Lucas sat on the bed next to Brooke. He had a hard time talking to Brooke after everything that happened.

"So... my mom and Keith are gonna stay with us for a bit until we get everything sorted out."

"Luke, they don't have to do that." She said, not looking at him. "We can take care of it."

"Yeah... but how are you doing? You know with... all of this...?"

"I'm fine."

"Yeah?"

Brooke looked up at Lucas. "Yes... I'm fine. And I'd appreciate it if you didn't ask me every twenty seconds, okay?" She said, bitterly.

"Okay... that's a fair request... Just as long as you promise me that if you're ever not okay... you'll come talk to me, okay?" Brooke didn't say anything. "Okay?"

"Fine. Okay." She said with attitude.

"Okay... " Lucas sat closer to Brooke and put his arm "Let's go home." He smiled.

;

;

;

Lucas sat in the living room with Karen and Keith and sighed.

"How's Brooke?" Keith asked.

"Asleep." Lucas answered.

"And Noah?" Karen asked.

"Same."

"And what about you?" Keith asked.

"I'm trying to take all this in... It's real hard though, you know?" Lucas frowned.

"Do you want to go through with the funeral?" Keith asked.

"_I_ do, but... I'm not sure Brooke's up for it... I don't think she ever will be."

"Did you even...?" Karen swallowed hard. "Did you get to name her?"

"I wanted to but..."

"Brooke didn't." Keith said, finishing his sentence.

"Nope... but... she keeps telling me she's okay... I'm just not sure if she's being honest with me."

"Of course she's not being honest. Lucas, any person in their right mind would know that Brooke is far from fine right now... There's a lot that Brooke's just not ready to do yet... and that might include asking for help."

"You're right... I should talk to her." He said getting up out of the chair.

"Do you want us to leave?" Karen asked.

"It would help." Lucas smiled politely.

"Okay..." Keith said. "We'll get out of your hair then." Keith and Karen stood up and started walking out the door. "Good luck" Keith said, putting his hand on Lucas's shoulder.

"Thanks..." He smiled as they left the apartment. "Hopefully I won't need it." He whispered under his breath.

;

;

;

Brooke stood in the bathroom wearing just a tanktop and underwear. She stared down at the scale on the floor of the bathroom and sighed. "Here we go" She whispered. She put one foot on the scale, and braced herself for the second foot. She closed her eyes and waited about thirty seconds before looking down. _158._ Twenty-four pounds lighter than she was before. She used to be 182 pounds. After having given birth, she had felt a little different. She wasn't sure if it was the postpartum depression or the grief from losing her baby girl, but things were definitely different. She quickly stepped off the scale when she heard the doorknob turn. Lucas peered his head in and smiled. "Hey pretty girl. What are you doing? I thought you were asleep."

"I was. I was just checking to see if I've lost enough weight to get back on the squad yet."

"Well, even if you did, you shouldn't get back on the squad just yet. I mean, you just had a baby... You need to rest- recover."

"Yeah, of course." She feighned a smile.

"Listen, my mom and Keith are gonna be out for the night and I was thinking that maybe you and I could watch a movie together. Noah's asleep."

"Um... actually, it's... it's getting late. I was kinda hoping I could just shower, eat and go to back to bed."

"Oh... Yeah, sure... No problem." He smiled. "Just let me know if you need anything, okay?"

Brooke nodded. "Can you do one thing for me?"

"Anything."

"... Take care of Noah while I'm gone?" She said, eerily.

"Yeah, sure... Okay." Lucas grabbed Brooke's hand and kissed it before he walked out the door.

"I love you too..." She whispered, knowing Lucas couldn't hear her from the other side of the door.

Brooke placed her hands on the sink and sighed, with her head lowered. She lifted her head and looked at herself in the mirror with tears welling up in her eyes. "How do I do this?" She whispered to herself. She rubbed her eyes and then started up the bath. When the hot water filled to the rim of the tub she stripped her clothes and got in the water one toe at a time. She laid in the tub, almost dunking her head all the way under and laid there with her eyes closed. All of a sudden, her eyelids flung open when she heard the sound of a baby's cry in her head. When she looked around, she realized she was only imagining it. She sat up and buried her face in her knees, crying. She sat in the water, crying for over ten minutes before looking up again. To her left, she saw a freshly sharpened razor. She stared at the razor with strong intent before lifting it up with her dainty fingers. She locked her gaze on the razor and sat there quietly before ripping off the head of the razor and pulling apart the blades all in a few swift motions. She took a blade in her fingers and glared at it. Tears were streaming down her face, unable to control her emotions. Brooke didn't know what she was feeling. She was feeling everything all at once and she didn't know what to do with that. She took the blade in her strong, tightly gripped, fingers and placed it against her left wrist. She pressed down hard and started sobbing out loud. Every time she slept, she'd dream about her baby girl. Every time she closed her eyes, every time she blinked she saw her there, and Brooke wasn't sure she could take it anymore. She pressed the blade down hard against her ivory skin and readied herself to flick her wrist. While finding the motive inside her to do it, she closed her eyes and heard a baby's cries. But when she flung open her eyes, the cries were still there. Outside of the bathroom, her baby boy was crying. Her fingers untensed as she realized that was the first time she was away from her son when he cried. She heard, from outside of the bathroom, Lucas's voice. _"It's okay. Daddy's here. Daddy's got ya." _She heard him whisper. She heard him quiet their child and tears flew down her cheeks faster than they ever had. Her fingers grew numb as her son's cries had quieted down. She took another look at the razor, grew a look of hatred on her face, hurled the blade toward the wall, and screamed. She threw her head in her hands and stared crying ferociously. She stopped herself from crying when she heard a knock at the door.

"Baby, you okay?" Lucas asked, after having heard the scream.

Brooke wiped tears away even though he couldn't see she was crying. "Um... yeah!" She called to him. "I just... I, uh... I cut myself with the razor on accident." She lied.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Is Noah okay?"

"He's good. He's hungry though."

"Okay... okay, I'll be out in a minute."

"Okay... I love you babe." He said with his ear pressed against the door.

"I love you too." She cried.

"Baby, are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, babe. I promise." She said with a shaky voice.

"Okay." He walked away leaving Brooke still in the bathroom by herself. Brooke looked around the bathroom, wondering how it got that bad.

"Fight it, Brooke... fight it." She whispered to herself. "You're strong enough... you are..." Brooke wiped her eyes again and sat there until her eyes were no longer red and puffy. She got out of the tub and let the water out before drying off and putting her clothes on. She walked out of the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel. When she caught sight of Lucas in the nursery holding Noah, she cleared her throat. Lucas looked up and smiled.

"Hey pretty girl." He whispered. "I got him to go to sleep, but I think he needs to eat still." Brooke smiled at him, watching the way he held their son. He looked down at Noah and then back at Brooke. "What?" Brooke looked at the two boys and tried her best to smile. She just stood there with a blank expression on her face.

"Roe." She whispered.

"What?" Lucas asked, confused.

"The name to put on the marker... for the funeral... Her name is Roe..."

"Roe..."

"Yeah..." Brooke frowned before turning around to walk away.

"Hey Brooke." Lucas said, stopping Brooke. She turned back around and looked at Lucas. "... You didn't really cut yourself with a razor, did you?" He asked, knowing Brooke wasn't telling the truth earlier.

"... No..." She whispered. "... But I almost did." She said, somberly before walking away. Lucas watched Brooke leave, and couldn't help but let a tear fall from his eye, knowing there wasn't anything he could do to help Brooke. This had definitely been the hardest thing he's ever had to face... by that point. He had no idea whether or not this would snowball out of control. And what would he do if it did?

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><p><strong>Author's note: Alysef said "great stories come from heartbreak" and I totally agree with that... That's why I'm taking the story in this direction, but don't worry, things will turn around eventually. I have to say that I am soo glad that you all decided to stick around through this because I was so sure that if I took this route in my story that you'd all stop reading and I thank you for caring about what I do with this story so much by continuing to read. You guys make my day with EVERY review! THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!<strong>


	14. Author's Note 3 UPDATES

**Hey guys! Another Author's Note! Sorry I had to do this again, but I felt it necessary. Don't worry, I'm still going to be updating every Wednesday as I promised. You should get the next chapter on February 1st. :) And those of you that have been reading from the beginning, remember when I told you all a million times that I had no idea what I was doing with this story? Well, because you all have kept this story going so long, I've started planning! I have a breakdown for the next EIGHTEEN chapters... AT LEAST! There's going to be so much more after this, I promise you! It's going to take me a while to update frequently, and that's why I wanted to update once a week. Of course, though, when school is over in June, I'll be able to update nearly every day. XD I'm so glad to hear all of you appreciate this story so much and that you want me to update as often as possible. To be honest, a couple days ago, I had a dream that nearly every review I got was telling me that I wasn't any good and that my storylines sucked and that I should stop writing. And to go back and reread your reviews, makes me feel so much better. It's been an honor writing this story for you, even if I didn't want to to begin with. :) Look out for the next chapter on Wednesday!**

**ALSO, I'm working on making Twitter accounts for Brooke and Lucas for this story, just so you can check up on them every once in a while. I think it could be fun for you guys. Unless, you'd prefer I didn't, then it doesn't matter to me. I was just thinking you guys would enjoy it.**


	15. 2 weeks old

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I know that I promised you an update on Wednesday, and I had thought that it updated successfully, but I guess it didn't. I got home from school at around three thirty today and found out it wasn't up. I was going to try and update it again, but the file wasn't saved on my computer so I had to rewrite some parts. I originally was not going to post this at all today, after finding out it wasn't updating because I haven't had the best day. In fact, this day has made my week terrible. A good friend of mine passed away this morning when he was walking to school. His dad usually drives him to school, but couldn't do it today. He was almost at the school when he got hit by a car. It happened down the road from my school. Anyway, I was in a crisis debriefing almost like all day today and was obviously not in the best mood when I came home. But started feeling better so I redid the ending and hopefully it's up now. Anyway, all the tragedy aside, let's get back to the story. (I don't want to bring you guys down with my problems) Thank you all for waiting patiently and for reviewing! paigematthewsfan, Ace5492, Bella Zed, robinscorpiofan, XHush-HushX, OTH12, Tutourgirl23, alysef, fireangel08, ReadingRed, aubagirl0926, DANI OTH, BpDs89, dianehermans, hprandom554, craxygirl54, GHJaSam4Ever, OTHNaley123, AussieGirl16, bjq, and heather XD. Glad to see some new readers! Or at least new reviewers! :)**

**Paigematthrewsfan21:Yeah? I thought so too. That'll be mentioned a lot in the next few chapters. :)**

**robinscorpiofan: I take it that you have the sense that you can never know what to expect with this story... If that's true, I've done my job. :D**

**XHush-HushX: That's essentially what the next several chapters will be about.**

**alysef: Your welcome. There's definitely going to be A LOT of Brathan bonding. They're probably going to be the friendship with the most focus in this story. I wouldn't say he gets jealous, but he definitely confronts her about it later on.**

**DANI OTH: Yeah, he'll definitely try to look out for her more. Especially in this chapter. :)**

**hprandom554: Thank you. It's reviews like this that make me feel confident in this story to make it as good as possible for all of you.**

**GHJaSam4Ever: HELLO NEW READER! (And GH fan, I see. :P) There's definitely something fishy going on, but we won't know what it is until later on. :S Sorry for having to make you all wait.**

**OTHNaley12: XD I'm being a writer! It's called "D.R.A.M.A!" lol**

**AussieGirl16: HELLO NEW READER! I'll be updating every Wednesday... at least I'll try. So you don't have to worry about when the next update is. Today was a special set of circumstances, though.**

**bjq: HELLO NEW READER! So sorry for the wait. lol, It's past Wednesday now, but hopefully that won't happen again.**

**heather XD: HELLO NEW READER! That's just part of the drama I'm bringing to the story.**

**Thank you guys again, for every word of encouragement that you have given me. It makes me feel over the moon every week. :) I hope you guys enjoy the twist I bring into this chapter! Read and review!**

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><p>Blue and brown eyes shot open in the middle of the night when they heard the sound of a wailing two-week-old baby. That wasn't something new with them. It had become routine in fourteen short days. Lucas flopped on his side, putting his hand on Brooke's stomach.<p>

"Want me to get him?" He groaned.

"No, it's okay." She groaned back, sitting up. "He's just gonna keep crying." She rolled out of the bed and sauntered to the door.

"Call for me if you need me, okay?" She nodded and left the room. Lucas had been saying that a lot lately. After suspecting that Brooke was trying to hurt herself, he had been keeping a closer eye on her. He didn't let her cook on the stove, she wasn't left alone in the house, and he sat outside of the bathroom whenever she showered... but she never knew that. And every day he could ask her how she was doing, she would always say she was fine. But who could really prove that? It was the same routine every night.

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;

;

Lucas opened his eyes, when the sunlight glimmered through the blinds of the window, and mouth opened wide for a yawn. He rubbed his eyes and reached out for Brooke, but was surprised when his palm made contact with the mattress on the other side of the bed. He sat up, wondering where Brooke had gone off to. He jumped out of bed and ran out to the living room, finding no one there. When he turned his head into the kitchen, he saw the quaint coo of his son. Brooke was bathing him in the kitchen sink.

"Babe?" Lucas asked, looking at the time. It was only a few minutes after six in the morning. "What are you doing up?"

"Are you kidding me?" She chuckled. "I've been up for hours. This is the most quiet time I've gotten in weeks. I don't wanna be sleeping, I wanna be awake when it's quiet."

"Eh, good point." Lucas said, rubbing the back of his head. Brooke laughed and looked back at Noah.

"You know what I noticed, Luke? Noah, does get something from you." She said, looking back at Lucas, who still seemed half asleep.

"What?"

"That stupid squint!" She laughed. "Wake up!"

"You know there are a few things that you do that I could tease you about, right?" He chuckled, pointing at her.

"Like what?" She grinned.

"Okay, um... Your laugh!"

"What's wrong with my laugh?"

"All right, I-I love your laugh." He admitted. "But you still shouldn't make fun of me." He joked.

"Okay, I'm sorry." She said in a playful tone.

"That's better." Lucas walked up behind Brooke and kissed her on the temple. Brooke pulled her naked baby out of the sink and wrapped him in a towel.

"Okay! Baby has been fed, changed and now bathed. I think I'm doing a pretty good job at this." Brooke smiled, giddy. "Can you get him dressed and put him down for a nap while I start breakfast, hon?"

"Yeah." Lucas smiled, taking his son from Brooke. He started whining as soon as Lucas held onto him. "Of course." Lucas said, jokingly. He kissed Brooke again before walking out of the room with the crying baby. Brooke turned back to the sink and washed her hands to start breakfast. She got out everything she needed to make pancakes and started on it. While she was mixing the pancake batter, she heard a knock at the door. Brooke washed her hands of the pancake batter and went to open the door. When she twisted the door knob, she was surprised to see who was on the other side of the door.

"Dad..." She said, stunned.

"Hi Brookie." He smiled. "Can I come in?" He asked, trying to step inside.

"No." She said sternly, trying to stop him.

"Brookie."

"What?" What do you want dad? Why are you here?"

"I wanted to see my beautiful daughter." He said, reaching for her hair. Brooke pulled away fast.

"No you didn't. You want something; what is it?"

"I don't want anything other than to spend time with you. Your mother said I could find you here."

"Well, mom hasn't been around any more than you. Actually, that's not true. She was actually here two weeks ago when you weren't."

"Brookie, you know I couldn't have been there. Neither could your mother, so I don't really know _why_ she was there."

"She was there because she got the phone call, and because it was important for her to be there for her daughter... You got the phone call too, dad. Why didn't you show up?"

"I was working."

"Working. Working on what, your golf score?" She said, harshly.

"No. I was working at my job so I could have money to keep the house, Brooke, like I always have."

"Shouldn't be much harder if it's just you and mom there."

"Actually, it's just me there... Your mom left me." He said, hoping to get sympathy from Brooke.

"Can't say I'm surprised." She said, crossing her arms.

"Now you know that's not fair, Brookie."

"Will you _stop_ calling me that? I'm not your 'Brookie', dad... I'm not your anything anymore."

"That's not true."

"Yes it is! I stopped being yours when you kicked me out."

"I did not kick you out."

"Yes you did... You and mom both did."

"Brooke, when you told us you were pregnant, that was the moment we decided that you had to start growing up. All we did was kick you out of the nest."

"Emphasis on the word 'kick'?"

"We were teaching you to grow up."

"You didn't teach me anything dad." Just as Brooke was ready to close the door on his face, Lucas stepped into the living room.

"He's out like a light, Brooke." Lucas said, not seeing Brooke's father in the doorway. When he looked up, he saw him standing there and saw the expression on Brooke's face. "Oh... Hello..."

"Is this him?" Brooke's dad asked, pointing at Lucas.

"Does it matter? Lucas, this is my dad Ted." She said, introducing Lucas to her dad but making sure to not introduce her dad to Lucas.

"It's a pleasure Lucas." Ted said, extending his hand. Lucas stood there with his arms crossed, refusing to accept the gesture.

"Why's he here?" Lucas asked Brooke, not taking his eyes off of Ted.

"He was just leaving." Brooke said with cold eyes. When Brooke was ready to close the door again, Noah started crying in the nursery. Ted's eyes opened wide.

"Is that my grandson?" He asked, with a wide smile. He tried to step inside, but Brooke stopped him.

"Don't." She looked over at Lucas. "I got him, Luke." Brooke went into the nursery leaving Ted and Lucas standing face to face. Lucas looked at Ted with a stern face and Ted smiled, politely.

"Eh he, look, I don't know what Brooke's told you about me, but I doubt any of it's true." Ted chuckled dryly.

"You sure about that?" Lucas said with his arms crossed.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm a nice guy, Luke. Can I call you Luke?"

"No."

"Okay..." He said, chuckling awkwardly. "Are you gonna let me in?"

"No, I don't think so." Brooke walked back into the living room with Noah in her arms, just as the tension in the room started to rise. "Is he okay?" Lucas asked, barely looking over at Brooke, his eyes still on Ted.

"Is something wrong?" Ted asked, still trying to squeeze his way inside.

"It's just a cough." Brooke said, walking into the kitchen. Lucas followed after her, concerned, not knowing Ted had let himself inside.

"You don't know that. I could be more than that. It might be pertussis." Brooke turned to her dad, confused.

"What?"

"Pertussis... it's whooping cough."

"Did I ever have that?" Brooke asked, holding Noah closer.

"No, no. Pertussis is almost always fatal to infants. You never had it."

"Well, then how do you know about it?"

"Brooke, I'm a father. I know how to take care of kids." Brooke rolled her eyes. "You should take him to his pediatrician."

"He doesn't have one."

"What? Sweetheart, that's very serious. Why not?"

"Because we don't have the medical insurance, dad... We can't afford it."

"Well... that just won't do." Ted pulled his checkbook out of his back pocket and started writing on it.

"What are you doing?" Ted ripped out the check and handed it to her.

"Here." He smiled.

"Dad, I can't take this from you."

"Just think of it as a loan. You can pay me back later... But I am going to need a down payment." Brooke stared at the check, surprised at the amount of money written on it.

"No... No, dad. I can't take this."

"Brookie..."

"No dad!" She yelled, ripping up the check. "This isn't a business transaction! And we're not your charity case!"

"No, Brooke, I didn't mean anything by it. I just wanted to help."

"I don't need your help."

"Yes you do, Brooke. You know you do."

"Well, I don't _want_ it! I don't want your help and I don't want you around me or my son."

"How is it fair for your mother to be around but not me?"

"Mom _isn't_ around. Not now. Why do you keep bringing up mom?... Are you jealous that she's spent time with me and you haven't?"

"I am not jealous of your mother."

"Then what it is?"

"Look, ever since you got pregnant... Your mother and I have been talking, trying to figure out where we went wrong. We just want to do what's best by you and our grandson; that's all."

"Why do I have a hard time believing that?"

"... Because your mother and I could've raised you better. And that's not to say that you haven't grown into a wonderful... woman. But we... we could've loved you more... We _should've_ loved you more. And we didn't, and for that I'm sorry."

"You're gonna have to do better than that to get me to forgive you."

"You're right... You're right... and I feel that now is the time to apologize to you for some big mistakes I made. I hope that we become closer, but more importantly, that you forgive me. Even though we haven't talked about it, there were maybe half a dozen times when you were a kid that I..." A lump grew in Ted's throat. "... struck you in anger. I remember that. I _remember _hitting you... And... one of those times stands out sharply in my memory, and I imagine in yours as well." Ted sat down on the couch, trying not to let his emotions get the best of him. "I think you were about eight. I came home from a job that I hated, more frustrated than usual. You were throwing a ball in your room, which I kept telling you not to do. I'm sure that you... we're just bored, I mean, you were a kid... I heard the loud crash and ran into your room to see you broke your window. I lost it and started hitting you... and I remember your mom pulling me off of you. And I left the house incredibly angry... I drove around the rest of the night thinking about what I did. I think it was the worst as well as the last time I have ever beaten you. Afterwards you were crying and I felt terrible, but I never let you know... how awful that made me feel... and I never apologized to you... I never gave you the love that you deserved." Ted was fighting back the urge to let tears fall down his face, and you could hear it in his voice. He stood up and put his hands on Brooke's shoulders. "I want you to know how sad I feel for every time I've hurt you, but especially for that one particular evening. It weighed heavily on my heart for many months, and over the years it's caused me a lot grief. I've often judged myself a bad father because of that episode alone. I want you to know it was never your fault when I hit you. No child deserves to be hit by a parent or anyone else. What I needed to do was let you know how upset I felt in each situation. I needed to express my anger, my disappointment with words rather than my hands. But I never learned this from my own father. What I did to you I learned from him. It's terrible how abuse can get passed down from generation to generation. My greatest hope is that this terrible legacy stops with you. And I know it will. Although I believe I never hit you again after that night, it's taken me till now... with help... to understand that it's never too late to apologize and ask for your forgiveness. I'm so very sorry for hurting you... in more ways than one. It was clearly wrong for me to ever hit you. I need your forgiveness, and also understand you might need time to forgive me. You're a mother now... You're a parent... and I know that you'll be a better parent than I was to you. I have no doubt in my mind." Ted's voice was breaking, and Brooke was resisting the urge to cry.

"Why are you telling me all this now?" Brooke asked with a shaky voice.

"Because I should've told you when you were eight. It's much easier for a child to forgive their father for something like this... than it is for a young woman. Because when you're all grown up, you've already seen the insensitivities of the world... when you're a kid you don't see life like that. And when you grow up in that environment it usually makes it harder for a child to be a better person... I don't know how you did it. But I believe that it has something to do with this young man over here." Ted smiled, then looked down at Noah. "And probably also this little boy right here." Ted's speech was getting to Brooke.

"His name's Noah... Noah Keith Davis."

"Noah." He repeated.

"It means comfort... Something that I hope to find in him... By having him with me..." Brooke looked down at Noah, and tried her best to smile. "I don't know that I can forgive you right now dad..."

"I understand." He said with a pale expression.

"But I can try." Brooke smiled. Brooke looked back down at Noah and tried to give him to Ted. "Hold him... it's okay..."

"No, that's all right... I don't want to hold him for the first time because you want to try again with me. I want to be able to hold him, knowing that you and I are going to be okay... I couldn't handle it if I got to hold him and never saw either of you again." Ted put his hand on Noah's head and kissed his soft spot before doing the same with Brooke. "I hope that we'll be able to see each other again... under better circumstances next time." Ted half-smiled and walked toward the front door. He put his hand on the doorknob and looked over at Lucas.

"Lucas... take care of my daughter, will you?" He smiled.

"Yes, sir, I will." Ted put his hand out in an attempt to shake Lucas's hand again. "No, sir... Not yet." Lucas smiled, devilishly. Ted chukled and pointed at Lucas.

"I knew there was something about you I liked." His smiled faded and he looked back over at Brooke.

"Goodbye Brooke." He nodded before leaving the apartment. Lucas and Brooke stood, staring where Ted left, with no words to express what happened. Lucas walked over to Brooke and kissed her head.

"You okay, Brooke?"

"... He dropped his wall..." Brooke whispered.

"What?"

"My dad, he... he dropped his wall, he's... being honest with me. I know it..."

"Is that a good thing?"

"... I don't know yet..." Lucas looked back at the door, both of them still stunned by what had just happened. Lucas had been totally oblivious to why Brooke's relationship with her father was strained, and he wasn't sure that he would be able to trust him with her after hearing the story. But, he did know, after listening to Ted, that he had to do a lot to have what it takes to be a good father for Noah.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Weren't expecting <em>that<em> were you? I really really need to know what you think about Brooke's dad coming back and whether or not you want to see more of him. I'll definitely be explaining the whole thing with Brooke and Ted's past, so don't worry about that. But do you guys want to see him around or would you rather him not come back? It's up to you! :) Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review! (Anonymous reviews are allowed) **


	16. 1 month

**Author's Note: **OMG, I missed you guys! I know that it's been over two weeks since I updated, and I sincerely apologize for that. If you want the truth, I've been have some confusing mental health issues that really need addressing and it makes it hard to update this story more often. Just don't forget that I love writing this story for you all, and I REALLY appreciate your positive feedback while I'm dealing with this. Thank you ALL for your reviews. paigematthewsfan21, craxygirl54, GHJaSam4Ever, Bella Zed, AussieGirl16, arubagirl0926, OTH12, Ace5492, fireangel08, dianehermans, DANI OTH, BpDs89, XHush-HushX, Isabel camilla Scott, robinscropiofan, hprandom554, Tutourgirl23, tanya2byour21. I really, really do appreciate every single review. It really helps me out when I'm down. And seriously 200+ reviews for twelve chapters? I really didn't think this story was going to go anywhere, but you clearly proved me wrong. So thanks for that!

**craxygirl54:** That's definitely something Brooke's gonna need to take into consideration. it's not something she can decide right away. Also, that'll be addressed later. It's more of a social thing for him, but there's a reason I wrote it in, aside from that.

**OTH12:** I agree, and that's why I wrote that specific idea in here. It really conflicts Brooke, knowing she went through that but knowing that she is still his daughter. How can someone easily forget that?

**fireangel08:** Well, Victoria's gonna be in this for the long run now, she kinda changed her ways a little as soon as Noah was born.

**DANI OTH:** I'm so glad that so many people are so protective of this Brooke I've been writing. It makes me feel special, like I've created this character that is worth protecting.

**Isabel camilla Scott:** I wouldn't say that she's out of the woods just yet. Keep that in mind that what Brooke went through was extremely traumatic.

**robinscorpiofan:** How can a story be dramatic without a shady character around? lol, but that's not to say that Ted IS shady. Just putting that out there.

**hprandom554:** Don't ever, ever worry about reviewing late. You all have schedules, just like me. :) At least you take the time to review period.

Seriously guys, I can't thank you enough. I really love writing this story for you, you don't even get it. :) Thanks for making this story worth while!

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><p>"Knock, knock!" Haley said as she peered her head in the doorway, spotting Brooke sitting on the couch. "We brought presents!"<p>

"Please not another toaster oven!" Brooke whined.

"Uh, no, it's food." She chuckled.

"Ooh, goody, bring it here!" Brooke grinned, sitting up more. Haley walked in, holding a basket filled with food, and Nathan walked in behind her holding another basket.

"Geez, that's a lot of food." Brooke chuckled.

"Oh, this one's not food." Nathan said, setting it down on the couch. "It's baby stuff. Y'know, diapers, rattles, that sorta thing."

"Oh? No clothes?" Brooke asked, looking in each basket.

"Oh, we figured his mom had that covered." Nathan smiled.

"Good call. She does." Brooke smiled back.

"Thank you guys, this is awesome. Thank you."

"It's not a problem Brooke." Haley smiled. "So, where's Lucas?"

"Oh he's... out." She answered, not being able to tell them where exactly he was becayse she didn't know herself.

"Oh okay... Um... where's that little tiger?"

"He's asleep."

"Really?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Hmm... I always imagined babies cried like... all the time." Haley chuckled.

"Yeah, well, it depends on the baby. Most of them sleep every two hours if they're good to you."

"Is Noah good to you?" She asked.

"Oh! An angel!" Brooke laughed. "It's a little difficult when I try to get Luke to handle him though, because he keeps crying."

"He's not over that yet?" Haley asked.

"Nope. Well, at least not with Luke. Nobody else has been around to hold him."

"Except me." Nathan bragged.

"Hey!" Haley said, whacking Nathan on the arm. "I bet I could hold him right now and he wouldn't make one sound!"

"Oh?" Nathan grinned. "You're betting?"

"Yes!" Haley laughed, walking toward the nursery before Brooke stopped her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Brooke chuckled dryly. "Because he's sleeping and if you wake a sleeping baby, you'll never get it to stop crying."

"Really?" But if that was true, then wouldn't babies be crying everywhere you went?"

"...Yes? I don't know! That's just something people say; please don't wake him!" She urged.

"Okay, okay, I won't." Haley laughed. But despite Brooke's attempts to keep him asleep, Noah started crying anyway... loudly. "Sorrryyyy."

"It's okay." Brooke chuckled. "Hang on." Brooke walked into the nursery, not realizing that Nathan and Haley were following after her. "Oh, what is it sweet baby?" Brooke asked, picking up Noah. "Are you fussy? Are you a fussy, fussy baby?" Haley smiled as Brooke laid Noah's belly against her chest and patted his back. Nathan couldn't help but chuckle. "What?" Brooke asked when she saw their expressions.

"It's nothing." Nathan said, still grinning. "It's just that, uh... Well, it's weird to see you like this. Like... like..." Nathan couldn't find the words.

"Like a mom." Haley said, finishing his sentence.

"What she said." Nathan laughed.

"Well, trust me, it _feels_ weird being a mom." Brooke said, still trying to quiet Noah.

"How does Luke feel about being a dad?" Haley asked.

"You know, I think he's okay with it. I mean, he and I had a lot of long discussions about this. About being parents and taking responsibility... I think it's the most amount of time we've ever spent talking since we got back together. To be honest, I think it's changed him for the better." Brooke smiled.

"Well, for what it's worth Brooke, I think it did the same for you." Haley smiled. "And how have you been? You know, dealing with... you know..." Haley didn't want to say it. It had only been a month since Brooke's baby girl was delivered stillborn and it was still too early for everyone to be okay with everything, if at all. "How is everything?"

"Luke's doing okay..." Brooke answered. "Me, not so much... I'm trying to let everyone know I'm okay, but I'm really a mess."

"Yeah, I'll bet..." Haley frowned.

"Noah makes it easier though." Brooke smiled. "If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here." Brooke said, not realizing that Nathan and Haley didn't know about her suicide attempt last month. Brooke looked at Noah and could tell that he was hungry when he started sticking his tongue out. "Hey, you guys, he needs to nurse, do you mind?"

"Oh, not at all." Haley answered.

"Okay, good. I just know some people are weird about it." Brooke said, sitting down.

"Why should they be?" Nathan asked. "It's a natural, human thing."

"Yeah, I know." Brooke answered. "But, like, Lucas... he won't even sit in the same room with me when I'm feeding Noah."

"Why not?" Haley asked.

"It weirds him out." Brooke said, quoting Lucas. She held Noah in her arms and proceeded to feed him. "He insists that I use the pump all the time and just bottle feed him." Brooke scoffed.

"If you ask me, it sounds like Lucas is the one being a baby." Haley laughed.

"Yeah, well he's a guy and this is all new to him, so I don't really blame him. Plus, this is all a lot of stress on him." Brooke sighed.

"Is it hard?" Haley asked. "Taking care of a baby at seventeen? I mean, is it as hard as everyone says it is?"

"I wouldn't say it's hard... I'd say that it's a lot of work. There's the crying, and the diapers, and the breastfeeding... It's tedious and it's strenuous... but it's so rewarding. I mean, if I have to deal with eighteen years worth of parenting just to get one laugh... one smile... it'll all be worth it. Just to see my boy smile... and I wouldn't trade that... or give that up... not for anything in the world."

"So, it's all worth it?" Haley asked.

"Every little bit..." She smiled. "Why are you asking all these questions Hales?"

Haley looked down, a little ashamed. "I guess I'm just... We're nervous, Brooke. That's kinda why we came over... we were hoping that maybe you could give us some advice."

Brooke laughed. "Haley, the last time I gave you advice, you went all over-board and got married!"

"Yeah, and I'm glad I did it!" Haley smiled. "I love being married to Nathan, and just because we're married, doesn't make us any less scared... We're still teenagers."

Nathan chimed in. "Brooke, we really could use your help. Look, I can't admit this to the guys on the team- especially not Lucas- but I'm freaking out over this. Can you help us?... Please?"

"I don't really know If I can do anything to help... I mean... I can explain some things to you... maybe give you some advice, pointers...?"

"Anything." Haley said.

"Well, I mean, It's the same thing as being an 'adult' parent, but I've gotta deal with a lot more bullshit than everyone else does." Brooke laughed. "It's not that bad, actually. Do I encourage anyone to be teen parents? No. I don't, because it requires a lot of things. A lot of things that not all of us possess. I guess, when I found out I was pregnant, I realized that I _wanted _to take responsiblity. And for me, personally, not only do I want to be in my son's life, I don't want to be a number. I don't want to be some crazy statistic, you know? Being a teen parent doesn't make you any different. Am I stressed a little more? Yeah. Do I have a lot of money? No. Am I still in school? Yes. Do I wish I waited a couple more years before having my son? Sure. But am I at any point just going to tap out and quit and leave? No way. And you have to remember, sometimes you can't pick your challenges. Sometimes your challenges pick you. It's reality. You've gotta learn to be a better person. Once you get to this point, it isn't just about you anymore. It's about the two of you... soon to be three. If you don't have pride or self respect, it's gonna be hard. You have to really try, or else you won't be able to do it. Teen parenting is looked at negatively in society but... It's not negative. Because I know that several years from now, when Noah's my age, I'll be able to look back and say I did a good job. To do this you have to be positive, you have to be tough, mentally, and you have to give it your all. End of story." Haley and Nathan sat there, taking in all the advice that Brooke had just given them, a little stunned that Brooke Davis was capable of giving quality advice now that she was a mom.

"You're right." Haley said with a little tear in her eye. "You're right, it's just... It's just scary." She chuckled, embarrassed.

"I know it seems like that now, Hales. Trust me, it's all scary; the pregnancy, the mommy and me classes, the labor... but it stops being scary the moment you hold that baby in your arms." Brooke smiled. Noah finished feeding and Brooke placed him in his playpen. She sat back down and looked up at Haley. "How far along are you now?" She asked, trying to get her talking positively.

"Almost five months..." Haley smiled. "Eighteen weeks."

"Do you know the sex?" Brook grinned.

"...Yeah, but we were kinda wanting to wait until later to tell you."

"Later when? Like when you squeeze that puppy outta there? C'mon, tell me!" Brooke squealed, childishly.

"Okay, okay!" Haley laughed. "But, I don't really think it's fair since you waited so long to tell _us_."

"Just tell me!" Brooke laughed.

"Okay... so... I'm due in twenty-two weeks... and Noah will be six months old when... baby Jamie is born." Haley smiled, avoiding the question at hand.

"Haley!" Brooke laughed, realizing she wasn't really answering the question.

"Okay!... We named the baby after my last name... Well, my maiden name... and my dad."

"James?" Brooke said, with joyful tears in her eyes. "Jamie... It's a boy?"

"Yeah... Yeah, we're having a boy." Haley grinned wide. "So Noah's gonna have a cousin that's like his little brother... Someone he can play basketball with when he gets older."

Brooke smiled wide and looked at Haley. "Really?"

"Yup!"

"Wow... who knew that one day Cheery and Tutor Girl were gonna raise little boys together?" Brooke smiled. "Don't you worry about a thing Hales... you're gonna be a wonderful mother. And Nate... I've seen the way you are with Noah... and I've seen you change from this pompous basketball superstar into a loving, caring husband. If you ask me, you guys couldn't be more ready to start a family than you are right now."

"Thanks Brooke..." Nathan and Haley stood up and started walking out the door together.

"Hey guys?" They turned back around to Brooke. "Keep the baskets."

"But-"

"But nothing. I'm doing fine... Keep 'em."

"We got them for you Brooke." Haley smiled, sympathetically.

"And I appreciate it... but I don't need them. Consider it my wedding gift slash baby shower gift." Brooke smiled. "I love you guys and, right now, you need to focus on you... not on me."

"Brooke, are you sure?" Haley asked.

"If you ask me again, I might just change my mind." Brooke laughed. "Go. Get outta here." Haley picked the baskets up and handed one of them to Nathan.

"Brooke?" Haley said, turning back to Brooke before walking out the door. "I just wanted to say that... we're really, really proud of you."

"Thanks tutor mom." Brooke smiled. Haley walked out of the house with her basket and didn't wait for Nathan to follow after her. He turned back around to Brooke and then walked over to her, hugging her. "What was that for?"

"Just to let you that you can make it. I know you, Brooke, and you'll bounce back. Just promise that if things aren't okay, you come and talk to me all right?"

"I will." Nathan smiled and walked back over to the door. "Hey Nate..." He turned back around. "I'm really glad you're Noah's godfather... Thanks for being around for me and Lucas lately."

"Yeah well... you guys are going through a rough time, so... I'm happy to help."

"Thanks."

"Anyway... I'll see ya." Nathan turned around and finally walked out the door. Brooke smiled as she watched Nathan leave. She stared at the door fo a minute before looking back at Noah, and sitting down on the floor next to him.

"Hey, bud." She said, in her baby voice. "Did you say bye to Nathan? Did you say bye?" She put her hand in the playpen and Noah reached up his fingers to grab onto her. She picked him up and held him close, kissing the top of his head. Her phone started ringing and she pulled her cellphone out of her pocket, looking at the caller ID. "Oh! It's daddy! You wanna talk to daddy, Button? You wanna talk to daddy?" She picked up her phone. "Hey Luke."

"Hey. Uh, I just wanted to let you know that I'm on my way home. I just had something to take care of."

"Okay, great, well, I'll see you when you get home... You wanna talk to Noah?"

"Yeah!" Lucas smiled. Brooke put the phone up to Noah's ear and let him coo and giggle into the phone. "Hey! Hey, Button! I miss you, buddy." Brooke took the phone back and laughed as Noah protested a little.

"Hey, Luke, I love you."

"Love you too, babe. Bye."

"Bye." She hung up the phone and looked back at Noah. "You need a nap, don't you? Don't you?" Brooke laughed and walked into the nursery to put her son down for his nap. "I love you Button... I love you..."

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>So to be totally honest, I'm not sure when I'm going to be updating again. Hopefully things will get better really soon and I can go back to my routine... but I can't promise anything yet. I'll try to keep you all updated. You can always check my twitter for updates on everything. I hope this chapter was worth the wait, and I hope that I continue to live up to your expectations. :)


	17. 2 months

**Author's Note: OH MY GOD! I CANNOT tell you all how UNBELIEVABLY stressed out I have been these last few weeks. It's finally spring break and I've been able to breathe for a while. But that's not going to last long. I figured I could get as many chapters of this story out of the way before I started the last quarter of my Junior year. Just so you all know, I haven't stopped writing this story. I've just been seriously busy, and so stressed out. But I'm back now. :) And thank you all so much for reviews while I've been gone. paigematthewsfan21, fireangel08, hprandom554, GHJaSam4Ever, BpDs89, Ace5492, AussieGirl16, dianehermans, ReadingRed, XHush-HushX, DANI OTH, PeachyKeen83, OTH12, Brooke. rayne, tanya2byour21, arubagirl0926, heather XD, craxygirl54, and Tutourgirl23. Thank you all so much.**

**hprandom554: Maybe because he is? (Suspense added?)**

**GHJaSam4Ever: You guys are going to be wondering about Lucas for a while. He's got a lot going on.**

****BpDs89: Yup! Who woulda guessed that High School Haley would be going to High School Brooke for advice?****

**ReadingRed: Oh yes, they will.**

**XHush-HushX: Is he? I hadn't noticed.**

**DANI OTH: Thank you. Yeah, that's the big thing about this story. You get to watch the characters grow up just like in the show.**

**PeachyKeen83: I do feel privileged, thank you. I've never actually seen the notebook. XD I'd be worried if more people weren't skeptical of Ted. You all should be, that means you're sticking behind Brooke. **

****OTH12: Actually, yes I am. I planned out the rest of this story, now that I know what I'm doing, and at a certain point, I'm going to be skipping ahead. When I do skip ahead, it'll actually be a sequel to this story. Same story, just five years later.****

****Brooke. rayne: Haha, thank you. I've been getting caught up on the show with my sister (She's now seen all the episodes) and every time we saw Bruacs in the high school years, she'd look at me and say "How are you writing a story about them?" XD She doesn't like them either. But it is a very fun experience, and it's one that I actually really enjoy. Lucas has been acting up a little bit lately. It'll be mentioned plenty times, don't worry about it. It'll all be figured out soon.****

**craxygirl54: So I've been told. We'll find out what's going on with Lucas later. Everyone seems to be wondering that.**

**You guys are AMAZING. You make my day with every single review. I think that's why I have yet to stop writing this. I hope I've made you all happy by continuing to post this. And I hope you enjoy this next chapter. (Don't worry, Lucas is in it quite a bit. :D)**

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><p>Brooke zipped up Noah's little winter jacket and bundled him up in a blanket. Karen walked in and heard Brooke singing to her baby. " You know I'm a dreamer, but my heart's of gold. I had to run away high so I wouldn't come home low. "<p>

"Motley Crue?" Karen chuckled.

"He loves it, go figure."

"He is Lucas's son, isn't he?" Karen joked.

Brooke chukled. "So..." Brooke held Noah up so Karen could get a good look at his outfit. "What do you think? Fabulous, right? It's a original." Brooke glimmered.

"Brooke you made this?" Karen asked, shocked. She got up closer and felt the fabric on Noah's jacket.

"Yep. That and a few other outfits that I have stored away in the closet."

"How many is a few?"

"I don't know, like twenty? Thirty?"

"Brooke, these are wonderful!"

"I know! I have a lot of free time on my hands since I haven't been going to school. And Noah's been really easy on me by sleeping all the time. So, I figured, why not."

"Well, for what it's worth, you did a magnificent job."

"Thank you." Brooke smiled. She sat Noah back down in his baby bouncer and started walking toward the kitchen. She took two steps forward before Noah started squealing and squirming. Brooke turned around in one swift motion, picking him up as fast as she could. "Oh! Baby, what is it? What?" Karen couldn't help but chuckle. "What?" She asked Karen.

"Brooke, he's a baby. You don't need to hold him every time he makes the tiniest sound."

"I know... I've just been a little worried about him lately."

"How come?"

"He's got this cough. It's kinda been bothering me."

"Is it bad?"

"No. I-I'm just being paranoid." Brooke chuckled, dryly. "Everything's fine."

"Well, all right..." Karen said, not completely comfortable with the situation but realizing that Brooke was a mom and that she knew what was best for her baby. "Are you excited to see Lucas play tonight?"

"Are you kidding me? Luke's been talking about this game for weeks! I'm just glad that he's _able_ to play. I mean, it's not like you'd let him play if he had HCM, right?"

"Not even if hell froze over."

"Didn't think so." Brooke chuckled. "Honestly, it feels a little weird... The season's starting and it's the first time since I was a kid that I won't be in uniform." Brooke frowned.

"You're gonna be going back to school soon, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, as long as the doctor says you're healthy enough to be on the squad, I don't see why the girls wouldn't welcome you back."

"Oh, I'm sure they will. It's just... this is the first game, and it just doesn't feel right. Plus, it's our last year and I'm suppose to be the captain; what would they do without me there?"

"I'm sure they understand that you couldn't be on the team. You'll be back on the squad in no time."

"Yeah..." Brooke looked back at Noah and smiled. "Well, I better get going." Brooke said, turning to leave.

"You're not gonna wait for Lucas?"

"He already left. The team had an early practice. I'm meeting with Haley to watch them."

"Oh, well, I'll be over there right before the game starts. Save me a seat?"

"Of course." Brooke smiled. She turned around to walk away until Karen stopped her.

"Brooke." Brooke turned back around. "You're doing a good job. Stop worrying, okay?"

"Okay." Brooke smiled. "Thank you." She said, finally leaving the house.

;

;

;

;

Brooke walked into the gym with Haley, holding Noah in her arms. She stepped onto the court, breathing in the smell that surrounded the area.

"Feels like home, right?" Haley smiled.

"Yeah..." Brooke and Haley both looked behind them when they heard the loud, bulky doors open. Brooke smiled wide when she saw the face approach her.

"Well, well... I must be gettin' senile. Brooke Davis in _my _gym? This is a sight for old eyes."

"Are _are _old coach." Brooke joked.

"Watch it." Whitey chuckled. He looked at Noah who had his fingers in his mouth. "And is this the little boy that Lucas can't stop talking about?" Whitey smiled wide.

"He sure is." Brooke chuckled while slowly taking Noah's fingers out of his mouth.

"He's gonna be playing for me in about fifteen years, right?"

"I doubt it." Brooke laughed. "By then, there'll be another coach for the Ravens, won't there?"

"Probably. But, if this kid's as scrawny as his daddy, the new coach probably won't even let him on the team!" Whitey laughed.

"It's okay coach, the only thing Noah got from Lucas is that ridiculous squint."

Haley laughed out loud at Brooke's comment. "And his hair."

"And his love for you." Whitey added, smiling. "That boy will not stop going on about you. Just, uh, don't let him know I told you that." He chuckled softly.

"When are you leaving, by the way?" Brooke asked. "You know... Rumors."

"Well, the rumors are true. I'll probably be packing up by the end of this year."

"How come?" Haley asked.

"Because not once in my thirty-five years of coaching have I been able to do what I accomplished this year. I taught two boys that, while this game is important to them, they can put the game and themselves aside for the sake of their family. And I guess I have you girls to thank for that. I've watched both of those boys change this year. And not because of the game, but because the game taught them not to play selfishly. They've learned to work together and became mature enough to realize when it's time to walk away. And I believe they've both learned that the only thing in life that matters, that truly matters, is being able to go home to the people they love and want to be with."

"That's beautiful coach." Haley said softly, not really knowing what to say in response to what he said.

"Well, I want to be able to watch them walk away from high school to make something of themselves later in life. And I know that they will. Lucas is already a wonderful father. And I've watched Nathan change for the better this year... I have no doubt in my mind that he'll do just the same. And lucky for them, they have turned into the exact opposite of Dan Scott." Suddenly, an entire squad of cheerleaders came bowling through the door, laughing. Brooke and Haley turned around, smiling. "I'll leave you girls to it." Whitey said, walking off. Brooke and Haley walked over to the cheerleaders. Bevin turned around and gasped.

"Oh. Em. Gee! Brooke?" Bevin threw her arms around Brooke's neck, hugging her. "Oh! We missed you! How have you been?"

"I've been good, Bev, thanks." Bevin looked down, noticing Noah.

"Is this a little Lucas?"

"Yeah, it is." Brooke chuckled.

"He is so cute Brooke."

"Thanks."

"Well, we have to get ready for the game. But it was nice to see you Brooke."

"Yeah, you too. Hey, I'm gonna be back at school pretty soon, so I won't be gone for much longer. I'll be back on the sqaud before you know it." Brooke smiled.

"Oh... Um... Yeah. Yeah, it'll-it'll be great to have you back at school, Brooke." Bevin said, nervously looking at the other girls. "Anyway... bye Brooke. Bye Hales." Bevin walked off with the rest of the cheerleaders. Brooke grabbed Peyton's arm before she could walk away with them.

"Hey, Peyton, what was that about?" Brooke asked, suspiciously.

"Oh, uh, I don't know, Brooke. Sorry. I gotta go." Peyton walked away, catching up with the other cheerleaders.

"That was weird." Haley said.

"Yeah... yeah, it was..."

"Well... I guess we should get our seats."

"Yeah, okay." Brooke said, walking to the bleachers with Haley. Before they knew it, the entire gym was filled with people. Whitey and all the other players were on the court, ready to play, with Mouth commentating on the game, as usual.

"All right, fans, the possession is under way. If the Ravens can win the next five games, they'll be State Champions. It's the start of the season and players and fans alike are all on edge as we hope the Ravens can make it to the State Championship. If the Ravens lose just one game, their season is over. The triple threat of Antwon Taylor and Scott brothers, Nathan and Lucas, are unstoppable. Ravens up by 10. Lucas Scott has become the Ravens' secret weapon off the bench. Folks, the Ravens look like the dominant force in these playoffs as the Scott brothers are on a roll. Nate works the ball to Skills. Skills with the alley-oop to Lucas, and Lucas drives it home. Lucas Scott is on fire tonight! In fact, he's averaging more points tonight than all-time leading scorer Nathan Scott. Nathan has 11 points and one assist while Lucas takes the lead with 19 points and four assists. What is he on? Long range from Lucas Scott. Ravens are up by 15 now, and is the magic number as they call halftime. Folks, if you're missing this game, you'll regret it later." Whitey and the team walked into the locker room, to get ready for the second half. Brooke watched them walk off the court and stood up, handing Noah to Haley. Brooke followed the team into the locker room.

"You boys are playing a hell of a game tonight. Don't turn this around now. Five more games and we'll be state champs. You start going to crap now, and you'll be sorry later." Whitey heard Brooke step into the locker room behind him and smiled, turning back to the boys. "I'm gonna let you all take it easy for a few minutes, but not too easy. We're back on the court in nine minutes. Nathan, how's the knee?"

"It's good coach."

"Lucas?"

"Feeling great."

"Good... let's keep it that way." With that, Whitey walked away. Lucas stood up and walked over to Brooke, kissing her.

"Hey, pretty girl. What brings you back here?"

"I wanted to see you." Brooke smiled. "You left the house so early; I didn't get to see you."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay. You're doing great out there. It's kinda sexy watching you play out there."

"Yeah?"

"Mm-hmm. I'm so glad that you're able to play this season. It would kill me to not be able to see you do what you love to do. It would be even worse if you _did_ play and you had that heart condition. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

Lucas looked at Brooke, solemly. "Hey... I'm not going anywhere, Brooke. I promise." Lucas kissed Brooke's forehead. "Now, look, the second half's gonna start soon, so you gotta get back out there."

"Okay." Brooke smiled, giving him one last kiss before walking away.

"Hey." He said, stopping her. "How's Noah?"

"He's okay. He's with Haley and Karen right now. Oh, and Karen said she's gonna watch him tonight so we can celebrate."

"Celebrate what?"

"Your first win of the season." Brooke smiled. "I'll see you on the court." She said, walking out of the locker room. Lucas smiled at how cute Brooke was being. Nathan walked up from behind him, putting his hand on his shoulder.

"You got a hell of a life, Luke. It'd suck to lose that." He said, walking away. Lucas looked back at his locker and sighed walking toward it. He opened it up and pulled out a medicinal bottle. He popped open the cap and took out two pills before swallowing them dry. He looked back at the other players who were walking back out to the court, and followed after them to start the second half.

"Things are starting to look grim as co-captain Lucas Scott has been unable to make a single shot since halftime. It's gotta make you wonder what happened in those ten minutes." Lucas attempted to make shot after shot after shot, missing every time. He played that way for the rest of the game. "With ten seconds left on the clock, the ravens only have one shot to get this game back into gear. Bear Creek with 62 points, and the Ravens close behind, trailing with 60. Lucas scott steps to the free-throw line, in hopes of bringing the Ravens out of this hole they've buried for themselves. With the way Lucas has been playing tonight, it seems safe to say that, for the Ravens, their season is over. Lucas has the ball, the shot is up and it's no good!" Lucas looked over at Brooke who had a solem look on her face. She mouthed 'Come on, Luke' to him, with her fingers crossed. Lucas looked back at the basket and tried one last time. He shot the ball again and missed. Lucas hung his head, hoping he could bring this game back. "Well, that's it folks. I think it's safe to say that this is the end of the season for the Ravens. Nathan Scott has the ball. He passes it to Skills, Skills to Lucas, Lucas to Nathan. Four seconds on the clock. Nathan passes it to Lucas, Lucas goes up for the shot... And it's good! It's good! The Ravens win! Ravens win! Ravens have 63 points. Bear Creek has 62. The Ravens win by one point and advance into the state quarterfinals. Bear Creek's season is over." The team cheered, as well as the fans, celebrating the fact that they had become the underdogs. No one in that gym would've thought Lucas would make the final shot... except for Brooke. She had faith in him all along. Lucas looked up at Brooke, who had the widest smile on her face. He smiled back and clutched to his chest, hoping no one would notice he was in pain.

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Broke and Lucas walked in the front door holding each other, trying not to trip on their feet. Brooke started kissing on Lucas's neck as she unbuttoned his shirt.

"Woah, woah." Lucas said when he noticed. "Hey, what are you doing?" He chuckled lightly.

"What? I thought we were having fun. You know, Karen has Noah for the night and we're here alone..." She continued undoing his shirt. "And... I wanted to congratulate you on making the winning shot... and show you just how proud of you I am." Lucas couldn't resist Brooke. He was a guy, and he did love her after all. Was he just suppose to say 'no' and expect them both to be okay with it? Instead, he said...

"Are you sure?"

Brooke smiled. "Yeah, I'm sure." She whispered, taking off his shirt, leaving the wife beater on underneath. "Come on." She said, gently pushing his chest, still kissing him. "Bedroom." She whispered. He nodded and whispered back.

"Yeah, o-okay." he was entangled by the sound of her voice and the smell of her skin. They twisted their way into the bedroom, falling onto the bed with Lucas on top of Brooke. She pulled at his shirt again, biting his lip. Lucas pulled back just as she wrapped her arm around the back of his neck. "B...rooke..." He said, trying to catch his breath.

"I know." She smiled devilishly. "Now, shut up and kiss me." She said, pulling him back in. Lucas fell into Brooke, giving in to her demands. Brooke and Lucas switched places, with Brooke straddling Lucas. She unhooked her bra, not moving her lips from his. But, to Lucas's surprise, she pulled back.

"What?" He asked, confused. "What's wrong?"

"Do you hear that?" Brooke asked.

"Wh... Hear what? I-I don't-I don't hear anything."

"Exactly... When was the last time our apartment was quiet?"

"Well, before... Noah."

"Right." Brooke sighed. "Luke..." Brooke got off of Lucas and sat down next to him. "The last time we did this... we got pregnant. Are we really gonna do this again?"

"Brooke-"

"It's not that I don't wanna have sex with you, Luke, I do, but... we can't chance it again. It's not right."

Lucas looked at Brooke with a glimmer in his eye. "You're right... you're right."

"I'm sorry." Brooke said, putting her head in her hands, embarrassed.

"Hey, hey." Lucas moved her hands from her face. "It's okay. It's okay, don't worry about it. I understand. If you wanna wait... we'll wait. I promise."

"... Okay." Brooke said, looking over at Lucas. "I still wanna celebrate though. You made the winning shot!"

"Yeah, after playing like crap."

"Hey, you did not play like crap. You were doing great during the first half."

"Yeah, then I sucked."

"No, you didn't. Look... how about tonight, we spend it as Lucas Scott and Brooke Davis... and not as Noah's parents? Just you and me tonight."

"That sounds perfect." Lucas smiled. He laid back in bed, putting his arm around Brooke as she curled up into his chest. "I love you Cheery." He whispered, before kissing her on the head.

"I love you too Broody." Brooke chuckled. They laid there for a few minutes, just enjoying the silence. But not for long.

"You wanna check on Noah, don't you?" Lucas asked.

"So bad." Brooke said, getting up to call Karen. Lucas laughed as she bounded off the bed and into the living room. He watched her walk away, knowing that was what his life way. And he would never do anything to jeopardize that.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: What kind of feelings did this chapter leave you with? Good? Bad? Confused? Please let me know so I can get the next chapter up as soon as possible. I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! Thank you again for the crazy amazing reviews!<strong>


	18. 3 months

**Author's note: So, I feel really bad about doing this, but school is starting up again this Monday and I'm afraid updates won't be coming as frequently as I would like. But, I do have some good news. I've planned out the rest of this story (Remember when I started and I had no idea what I was doing? lol) and there's going to be ten more chapters after this one before I start the sequel. The rest of these chapters are going to be a wild ride, so hold on tight. Thank you all SO much for reviewing and for being patient and for sticking by me and just everything. You all are too amazing for words! paigematthewsfan21, fireangel08, XHush-HushX, OTH12, GHJaSam4Ever, dianehermans, BpDs89, hprandom554, Bella Zed, arubagirl0926, Ace5492, ReadingRed, AussieGirl16, and Tutourgirl23 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING! I know that it took me SO long to update again, and it means a lot that you continued to read after so long. :)**

**paigematthewsfan21: That's my favorite part about writing Brooke for this story. I get to write her as a character somewhere between her high school years and her adult years. Because now that she has a child she's not a kid anymore, but she's not fully grown up yet either.**

**GHJaSam4Ever: Pretty much everyone's noticed Lucas has been sketchy lately. It'll be a few more chapters before we find out why, but it's a lot more complicated than you think.**

**BpDs89: It's funny that you say that. I read your review and laughed because this chapter is basically just Lucas and Noah. We'll find out about the whole thing with the cheerleaders in this chapter too.**

**hprandom554: Rachel isn't captain. She's not even going to be in this story. And Haley was on the squad, but now that she's pregnant, she's taking time off.**

**Bella Zed: Exactly!**

**I can't thank you guys enough. Without all of your reviews, I wouldn't have had the strength to continue writing this in the first place. I think you'll all be happy to know that, since writing this story, I've grown to like Brucas a little more. (But make no mistake, they're still on the bottom of my list) Seriously, though, you guys are amazing. I can't say it any other way! :)**

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><p>Lucas pulled Noah out of his bouncer and into his high chair in the kitchen. Keith popped into the kitchen and stood behind him.<p>

"Hey, Keith, can you get me one of the bottles of baby food in the pantry?" Lucas asked, ruffling his son's light blond hair.

"Yeah, sure." Keith walked over to the pantry and looked around. "Peaches and Banana or... String Beans?" Keith said, making a sour face at the 'String Beans'.

Lucas chuckled. "Either one." Keith picked the Peaches and Banana and handed it to Lucas. "Need a spoon?"

"Yeah, check the dishwasher." Lucas said, opening the can of baby food.

"Here." Keith said, handing him a spoon. "Want me to help?" Keith said, pulling up a chair next to Lucas.

"Nah, I got it." Lucas smiled as he started to feed Noah, who was resistant at first.

"So where's Brooke?" Keith asked, watching Lucas feed his son.

"Oh, she's out. She's gonna talk to the other girls about getting back on the squad. You know, Brooke hasn't left me alone with Noah before. But I know how important this was to her, so I told her I'd take him for the day."

"That's noble of you, Luke. I mean, considering he _is _your son." Keith joked

"Yeah, yeah." Lucas laughed. "No, Brooke's been very protective over Noah; I've barely gotten to spend time with him the last three months."

"She doesn't trust you?"

"No, it's not that. It's just... I don't know. Brooke just has to be with him twenty-four-seven. I don't really blame her, but still. I kinda feel left out."

"Have you told her that?"

"Nah, I don't wanna put the stress on her."

"What makes you think it'll put stress on her?"

"I don't know... She's just... She's been through enough."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Keith said, realizing they were all still getting over Roe. Keith looked back over at Noah who grunted when Lucas tried to get him to eat more.

"Oh, that's it." Lucas chuckled. "He's done."

"He barely ate anything!" Keith laughed as Lucas pulled Noah out of his chair.

"Yeah, but I've seen him do this with Brooke. She says when he refuses to eat the first time it's because he's been stubborn, but if he refuses the second time, he's not hungry."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Plus, if he's really hungry, he'll start crying."

"All right. You're the father." Keith chuckled. Lucas picked up Noah and pulled him closer to him. Just as he picked him up, Noah started wailing and the phone went off shortly after. "Want me to get that?" Keith asked.

Lucas chuckled. "No, I got it. Can you take Noah?"

"Sure." Lucas handed Noah to Keith who stopped crying as soon as they did the trade off.

"Unbelieveable." Lucas laughed as he picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, baby." The female voice said from the other end.

"Oh, I really hope that this is my girlfriend, otherwise I'm in trouble." Lucas joked.

"Watch it." She teased back. "Listen, I'm almost at the school, but I just wanted to call in and see how Noah was doing."

"Noah's fine."

"Really? His temperature's okay and everything?"

"I checked his temperature."

"And?"

"99.6."

"With the oral thermometer?" Brooke said, anxiously.

"No, the rectal thermometer."

"Really? You got him to stay still for that?"

"Yeah."

"Huh, I'm impressed. Did you clean the thermometer in soapy water and rinse it with cool water before you used it?"

"Yes, Brooke, yes." Lucas chuckled. "And I cleaned it in rubbing alcohol afterwards."

"Wow... you sound sexy talking like that." She giggled.

"Oh, lord help me if that's true." He joked.

"Did he eat?" Brooke asked, laughing away the joke.

"I tried feeding him, but he wouldn't take."

"Well, what did you give him?"

"I don't know, uh, the peaches and banana."

"Babe, you gotta start him with the vegetables."

"How come?"

"Because if you start him off with sweet foods while his tastebuds are developing, he's never going to be able to eat the bitter foods when he's older."

"Is that why people always feed their kids nasty baby food?"

"That's exactly why, babe. Did he get his bath yet?"

"I was going to bathe him in a little bit. Brooke, relax. I have everything under control."

"Well, I can see that." Brooke giggled. "Well, you can't blame me for being worried about him."

"No, you're right, I can't. But, everything's fine Brooke. Trust me, I'll call you if something goes wrong."

"Okaaay." Brooke whined. "All right, I'm pulling into the school now, so I'll call you when it's over."

"Okay. Love you pretty girl."

"Love you too." Brooke said, hanging up her phone.

"Brooke says 'Hi'." Lucas said, walking into the living room where Keith was.

"Really?" Keith asked.

"No." Lucas chuckled. "She was just checking up on Noah."

"Oh, figures." Keith sat down on the couch and sat Noah on his lap. "You know, I haven't held a baby since you were Noah's age."

"Well, for what it's worth Keith, the father-figure look is good on you." Lucas smiled. "You and mom gonna have a baby any time soon?"

"Luke, your mom and I aren't even together." Keith chuckled, putting Noah in his playpen.

"Yeah, but you're so great together."

"Well, I think so. I'm just not sure your mom's there emotionally... I mean, after Dan... It's hard to get back from something like that."

"Hey, Keith, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, anything."

"Was Dan always a bad guy?"

"No, not always."

"So what happened?"

"I don't know. I don't think anybody really knows."

"You don't think I'll end up like him, do you?"

"Absolutely not, Luke. You are way too good of a guy to turn into Dan. Trust me. A person has to go through a lot of crap to turn into Dan Scott. And you know, it took a lot of courage for your mom to raise you even though you had a father like Dan. The great thing is that Brooke has that same courage your mom does... and she doesn't need it because Noah has you for a father."

"Thanks Keith."

"Don't mention it. It's been a wonderful thing to see you grow up this past year, Luke."

"Has it really been a year?"

"Yeah. This time last year you told us that Brooke was pregnant. To be honest, your mother and I were scared out of our mind... but you and Brooke have proved that you can do this. And your mom and I are extremely proud of you."

"Well, I'm glad that I could prove it to you guys. And thanks for sticking by our side this past year."

"Anything for family Luke."

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Brooke pulled up to the front of the school and zoomed off to the gym as fast as she could. She spotted Peyton as soon as she got inside. "Peyton!" She smiled, getting her attention.

"Oh, hey Brooke." Peyton responded, hugging her brunette friend. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you and the rest of the girls."

"About?"

"About getting back on the squad."

"Oh..." Peyton's eyes darted around the room. "Brooke, listen-"

"I know that you girls are shorthanded two people on the squad, seeing as how Haley's gonna be deep into her pregnancy soon, but the doctor says I'm healthy enough to be back, so here I am!" Brooke smiled.

Peyton's eyes went pale. "Um... Brooke..."

Brooke saw the look in Peyton's eyes. "Wait... Did... don't tell me you... you replaced me...?"

"No, we didn't. It's just-"

"You promised you'd hold my position for me... I'm the captain!"

"Brooke, I know that-"

"And what about Haley? Are you just going to replace her too?"

"Brooke, stop!" Peyton shouted, placing her hands on Brooke's arms. "Just listen for a sec, okay?"

"Okay... What aren't you telling me Peyton?"

"... We didn't replace you or Haley... But you've both been off the squad for more than a month, and the rules say that any member that leaves the squad for more than a month has to re-audition to get back in."

"Okay, so I'll just audition again."

"Brooke, let me finish." Peyton sighed deeply. "If you audition again... it's just going to be a waste of time."

"Why? I-I'm the captain; how could I not get back on the squad?"

"Because the girls won't let you audition."

That hit Brooke. She didn't know what to say. "What?" She asked incredulously. "Why not?"

"Because it makes the other girls look bad."

"What? How?"

Peyton swallowed hard. "Because of your pregnancy."

"What?"

"It makes the rest of the girls look bad by having a pregnant girl on their squad."

"But, I'm not pregnant anymore!"

"Yeah... that doesn't matter to them, Brooke."

"But... but they can't do that! That can't just _not_ let me audition! You took my place as captain while I was out, can't you say something?"

"I could, but in order to make it through the audition, you have to have a majority vote... and the girls already said they wouldn't let you back in."

Tears started to well up in Brooke's eyes. "Everyone?"

"No, not everyone... Bevin and I wanted you back... but the others didn't." Peyton stood there, watching her friend's heart break. "Brooke, I'm so sorry." She reached forward to hug Brooke but she pulled away.

"I... I have to go home and check on Noah." Brooke turned and bolted out of the gym before Peyton could see her cry. She couldn't believe her friends would do something like that to her.

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Brooke stormed in the front door and threw her bag down on the couch. Keith and Lucas stood up in shock.

"Brooke?" Lucas asked, realizing Brooke was crying her eyes out. Brooke ignored Lucas and went up to Noah.

"Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine, he's fine. But are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just- I need a minute." Brooke stormed off into their bedroom.

"Luke, give me the kid." Keith said, reaching for Noah. "I got him. You go... be with Brooke."

"Okay..." Lucas handed Noah to Keith and he followed Brooke into the bedroom. He saw her sitting on the bed, with her head buried in the pillow. He sat down on the bed behind her and rubbed her back. "Hey... Brooke... What's the matter?" He asked, with the sweetest voice.

"I don't wanna talk about it." She whispered between sobs.

"Baby, you can tell me... What's wrong?" Brooke sat up in bed and tried her best to not let Lucas see her cry.

"The won't let me back on the squad." She admitted.

"What? W-why not?" He asked, moving his hands up and down her arms.

"Peyton said it makes them look bad by having a girl on the squad that had a baby." She blubbered.

"That's ridiculous."

"I know! And the worst part is, they didn't even tell me about all of this the last time I talked to them. How could they do this to me?" She cried, wiping her eyes.

"Oh... Baby, I know you're hurting, but it'll be okay. It's just cheerleading."

Brooke looked up at Lucas with anger in her eyes. "_Just cheerleading_?" She mimicked. "Lucas, it's more than just cheerleading for me! Next to Noah, that's my whole life! That's what I grew up with, it's all I knew I could do that I was good at and now that it's gone...!" Brooke stopped herself as her voice started to crack. "I'm just worried that without it... I'm not going to be special anymore. And I don't want to lose that."

Lucas's heart broke for his girlfriend. "Hey..." Lucas put his finger under her chin and lifted her head. "Baby, look at me." Brooke looked up at Lucas with tears in her eyes. "You are never going to lose that. You know why? Because you're a mother. That makes you a very special person. That little boy is going to look up to you and wonder how he got so lucky to have a mom that's as special as you. You see, as long as you're Noah's mother... you're always going to have that thing that makes you special. And even if you didn't have Noah... the thing that makes you special is what makes you feel special. And you'll always have something like that in your life... You're Brooke Davis!" He smiled. "There's no reason to be worried... Brooke Davis is going to change the world someday, and I'm not sure she even knows it."

Brooke felt a smile creep up on her face. "Do you really believe that?" She asked, wiping a tear away.

"With all my heart." Lucas put his hand around the back of Brooke's head and pulled her closer for a kiss. "I love you pretty girl. Don't ever forget that."

"I love you too." She whined, kissing him again, then a third time, and a fourth time. Lucas pulled back and put his hand on her cheek.

"Your son wants to see you. He missed you today."

"No... He got to spend time with his daddy... he didn't miss mommy."

"Yes he did." Lucas chuckled. "Are you gonna be okay, babe?"

Brooke shuddered. "As long as you stay by my side... I'll be more than okay, Luke."

"I'm always gonna be here Brooke... Do you want me to make dinner for you?" He smiled.

"... If it makes you happy..." She teased.

"Okay." Lucas chuckled. "Come on, watch your man at work."

Brooke laughed. "If you say so." Lucas grabbed Brooke's hand and they walked off into the kitchen together. Brooke wasn't ready to believe that everything was going to be okay, but with Lucas supporting her, it seemed a little easier for her. Lucas was a guy she knew she could count on. God forbid if that ever went south.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Well? Did that warm your heart? This chapter actually made me smile a bit. Who knew? lol, I hope you guys liked it, and I hope that I don't disappoint with each chapter. Please let me know what you think. Any questions? Concerns? Suggestions? Anything?<strong>


	19. 4 months

**Author's Note: It has been WAY too long since I've updated this! Right? For those of you that don't know, for the last two weeks I've been staying at my school until very very late at night. Why? I was in a play. :D Saturday was our closing performance so it's over now. Luckily, I can go back to writing fics, rping and making yt videos. :) YAY! I was originally going to make this chapter longer, but as I continued writing it, it sounded like the beginning of a chapter, so I cut this one short to make another chapter. :) dianehermans, AussieGirl16, VFBFan, Tutourgirl23, paigematthewsfan21, GHJaSam4Ever, Ace5492, fireangel08, XHush-HushX, OTH12, BpDs89, arubagirl0926, Bella Zed, AlwaysAndForeverOTH, craxygirl54, hprandom554, Brooke. rayne, and DANI OTH THANK YOU SO MUCH for reviewing constantly. You guys are what keeps me going! You are the fuel to this story and because of you guys, it's going to make it ten more chapters! Keep it up you guys!**

**VFBFan: Don't worry. There's going to be a VERY deep Lucas/Noah scene pretty soon. You'll know it when you read it. **

**Tutourgirl23: There will be PLENTY more Brathan, Baley and Brooke/Haley/Lucas/Nathan scenes coming up.**

**GHJaSam4Ever: What is going on with Lucas is a little more complicated than what everyone is thinking.**

**BpDs89: Brooke's a strong person, but she can't handle everything. Remember that.**

**Bella Zed: That's one of the nicest reviews I've ever had. That's something I strive to achieve when I write. :) Thank you.**

**craxygirl54: I'm hoping I'm making the Brucas fanbase happy seeing as how they don't have Brucas anymore. It's not really that he cries when Lucas holds him per se... there's a reason behind it, but it's kinda confusing and difficult to explain. You'll see later.**

**hprandom554: I had to pay a little homage to Keith Scott in this chapter after watching 9x11. I, like most of the fans, miss him a lot.**

**Brooke. rayne: There really isn't anything more to it. It's basically just a group of girls that don't want to be involved with someone that got pregnant in high school. It makes the whole squad look bad when their captain is a slut. That's the mindset those girls are carrying. But don't worry, they'll get what's coming to them. I'm glad you used that phrase. "Helicopter Parent" is EXACTLY what I was going for, for that very reason. :)**

**DANI OTH: I'm glad people are worrying about Noah's health. It's nice to know that my readers care for all of the characters. I try not to be too vague, so it's nice when they pick up on the obvious things and the little things. :)**

**Enough of that, let's get to the next chapter. :)**

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><p>Brooke pulled her baby boy out of the bathtub and wrapped him up snug in a towel. "There you go button. Nice and clean." Noah reached out for his mom, cooing, and Brooke talked back with him as he tried to communicate. She sat down on the edge of the tub and dried him off. "Yeah, you're a happy baby, aren't you?" As she stood up to take Noah into the nursery, she turned around and looked back at the tub. It had been three and a half months since the day that she put that razor to her arm. She wasn't quite sure if things had changed since that day, but it made her sad whenever she thought about it. It was absolutely the most shameful moment in her life and, even though she wasn't successful, she wished she could take that day back. Noah started tugging at her mom's hair as if he was trying to bring her back to reality. She looked down at her son and saw him smiling. She smiled back at him and let out a little chuckle. "Hi baby. Hi..." She held Noah closer to her. "Oh, I'm so happy to be here with you. With you and daddy. Don't ever forget that I love you, okay?" Noah cooed loudly, as if he was responding to Brooke. "Let's get you changed, button." She said kissing his nose and walking back into the nursery.<p>

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"You know, Peyton, this car's looking pretty good." Lucas said proudly as he slammed the hood of the car down. He had been helping Peyton remodel her Mercury Comet for the past two weeks and they finally felt as if they were making progress.

"Really?" Peyton asked, impressed with Lucas.

"Yep. Why don't you give her a go?" He said as he tossed her the keys.

"All right." Peyton grinned. She got in the front seat and stuck the key in the ignition. She and Lucas groaned when the engine failed to turn over.

"Okay, so maybe I was a little too eager." Lucas said as Peyton got out of the car, pushing him playfully. "There's still a few kinks to work out."

"A few?" Peyton laughed. She turned and kicked the tire of the car and they watched as it went flat.

"All right, so there are a lot of kinks."

"Ya think?" Peyton said sarcastically, laughing. "Seriously though Luke, thanks for helping me out with this. It means a lot."

"Hey, no problem. Um... I do need to ask you for something in return though."

"Yeah, of course. Anything. What is it?"

"Let Brooke back on the squad."

"Luke-"

"No, Peyton, I don't know what exactly is going on with all of that... but I do know that my girlfriend came home a few weeks ago crying her eyes out talking about how she doesn't feel special anymore. And the other girls took that feeling away from her. And to be honest, I'm not going to just let them get away with that. And you're the only person I trust to fix that."

"You're right... You're right, Luke. And, hey, I'm sorry about that... She was crying?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, for the record Luke, I'm not the one that wanted her off the squad. I told them that I wanted her back on, but it just doesn't work like that."

"So how are we suppose to fix this?"

"I don't know." Peyton sighed. "In order for someone to get on the sqaud, we've gotta do a majority vote when they do their audition. And the girls won't let her back on."

"Why not?"

"It's bad rep having a cheerleader with a baby on the squad. How ridiculous is that?"

"Do they understand that it's actually good for them?"

"How so?"

"Brooke's popular, Peyton. Everyone loves her. And if they let her back on the team they'd be showing other people that a person that gets knocked down and gets right back up can actually make something of themselves. Your squad's suppose to be about people getting together and learning to accept each other, right?"

"Not really, Luke." Peyton chuckled. "It's about a bunch of girls that get together to cheer for a basketball team."

"But it's not just about that for Brooke..." Lucas sighed. "We gotta do something about that."

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Brooke cleaned up around the house, frantic as can be. Noah hung on Brooke's side, on her hip, while she argued with the person on the other end of the phone. "Okay... no, you don't understand. I told you that I don't have any health insurance for my son... no... no, his father and I don't have insurance either... Because we can't afford it; what kind of question is that?... Okay, well, I don't see what having health insurance has anything to do with me registering him for daycare... uh, because this is America! I know my rights!... No, I didn't read the constitution, why does that matter?" Brooke picked Noah's pacifier off of the floor and washed it off in the sink before giving it back to him. She walked back into the living room to clean up more.

"Okay, let me explain this to you one more time... I am only seventeen years old and I do not have a job, I cannot afford health insurance for my family...No, my boyfriend doesn't have a job either, his mother is paying the rent for our apartment... I can too do that!... Listen, I don't really care what your rules are. Why would a daycare have to require everyone to have health care? That's dumb!... No, I am not being childish... I am not!" Brooke set Noah down in his playpen and still continued to clean up.

"Okay, that is a very rude thing to say to me... All right, whatever, you are so lucky that my son is in the room, otherwise I'd tell you to... go _do something _with yourself." Brooke hung up the phone and slammed it down on the kitchen counter. "Can you believe those people?" She asked Noah, not realizing he couldn't actually answer her. He grunted at her, responding. "Yeah, that's right. That's right!" Brooke turned around when she heard a knock at the door. "It's open!" She said, handing Noah his stuffed dog.

"Hey Brooke." Nathan said, walking inside the apartment. "Hi Noah." He said in a baby-ish voice.

"Hey Nate!" Brooke said, hugging Nathan. "What are you doing here?"

"Just came by to see you and Noah. How've you been?"

"I've been okay. Thanks. Just trying to get Noah registered for daycare seeing as how I'm going to be re-enrolling into school soon. How's Haley doing?"

"She's doing good. She actually about to enroll _out _of school soon."

"Oh yeah. How far along is she now? Seven months?"

"Seven months, one week and five days."

"Wow. I'm impressed." Brooke smiled. "How are you guys holding up?"

"We're doing good. We're doing really good. You know, I think we're really prepared to have this baby now."

"Good." Brooke smiled. "It's not as hard as you think when you have each other to work through it. You guys are lucky."

"Yeah, well, you've got that same thing going with Lucas."

"Yeah..." She frowned.

"What?" He asked, realizing something was wrong.

"It's nothing."

"It's not nothing. What's up?" He asked, sitting on the couch.

"I just... I don't know sometimes I feel like Lucas isn't here enough." She admitted. "And I know he's got all this stuff going on, and I don't blame him for wanting his alone time but... I'd still like to see him more, you know?"

"Is this about Lucas? Or is it about your parents?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I know that your parents weren't always around for you as a kid... and now that you have a kid of your own, it's hard to grow up when there was no one there to teach you that... Maybe you're just worried about Noah going through the same thing?"

"I don't know, maybe... It's just _so _hard doing this alone... I mean, what if something were to happen to him?" Just as she said that, Noah started coughing... _badly_. Her head shot up when she heard Noah's cough. This wasn't the type of cough she was used to either. After hearing his first cough, her blood ran cold.

"Is he okay?" Nathan's voice rang through Brooke's ears like an echo. "Brooke?" She stood up slowly and tiptoed to her son. Every step she took was painful and seemed to last a minute each. Nathan just stood there as Brooke remained like a zombie. She picked up her son who was hacking up spit everywhere. As soon as she grabbed hold of him, he started crying and screaming.

"Nate...?" She whispered. "Can... can you get his thermometer for me, please?" Nathan simply nodded and rushed into the nursery to get a thermometer. He came back and handed it to her quickly.

"Is he okay?" He asked again.

"I don't know..." Brooke's voice shook. She tried to get Noah to stop coughing so she could take his temeperature, but he just wouldn't stop. As soon as she tried to lay him on his back, he started spitting up. Nathan rushed to the kitchen and grabbed a rag so Brooke could clean him up. Nathan's heart was beating fast. He was scared and didn't know what to do. When Noah started wheezing, Brooke grabbed her keys and started for the door. "I'm taking him to the hospital." She told Nathan as she ran to the car.

"I'll get him in his seat, you go start the car." Nathan said, taking Noah from her. She jumped in the driver's seat and started the car while Nathan got in the back with Noah.

"Can you call Lucas?" Brooke asked as she started driving off.

"Yeah, sure." Nathan said, pulling out his cellphone. Nathan waited, listening for Lucas to answer the phone but nothing happened. "His phone's off." He said, hanging up. Brooke groaned out in frustration but continued focusing on the road. She kept on driving fast. Maybe a little too fast. A police car came up from behind Brooke, trying to pull her over.

"Oh my god!" She shouted, pissed off beyond all belief. She pulled over and waited for the officer to approach her.

"License and registration?" The male officer asked.

"NO, I don't have time for that!" Brooke shouted, surprising the police man. "This is my car and I have the right to drive it! Just give me the damn ticket!"

"Miss, you need to calm down." He ordered.

"Listen, my son is really sick! He's four months old and he needs to see a doctor and I'm trying to reach my boyfriend but he's not answering his phone and I'm only seventeen and I don't know what I'm doing!" Brooke started crying and rested her head on the steering wheel. Nathan saw Brooke was distraught and jumped in.

"Officer... don't you have a family?" The officer looked at Nathan with soft eyes. "Please..." Nathan begged. "He's really sick," The officer tried to keep his exterior throughout all of it, but couldn't.

"I'll give you a police escort." He said before going back to his car.

Brooke stuck her head out the window and shouted. "Thank you!" The officer got in front of Brooke and drove off fast with her following. It seemed like they were driving forever.

"Brooke...?" Nathan's voice froze. "He stopped coughing."

"What?" Brooke looked back at them while also trying to keep her eyes on the road. "Is he okay?"

"I-I don't know. He's not- He's not breathing." Brooke pulled into the hospital parking lot and rushed Noah into the emergency room. Noah laid in her arms, limp.

"I need a doctor!" She shouted, trying to find the nearest specialist. A doctor and a few nurses approached her.

"What's wrong?" The doctor asked urgently.

"My son's not breathing." She cried. Brooke didn't know what else to do and hoped that the doctors would be able to take over for her. And that they did. The doctor and nurses took Noah from Brooke and ran off with him before saying another word. Brooke stood there and watched as they took him away from her. She turned to Nathan who was trying his best to be tough through all of this, but was falling apart himself, and buried her head in his chest, crying. What else was left for them to do but wait?

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Sorry if it was a little short. I had to cut it into two separate chapters. But that means we get ten more chapters now instead of nine. :) Don't forget to review. You don't have many more times to do that.<strong>


	20. Author's Note 4 Q&A

**Good news guys!**

**Sorta.**

**It's just news.**

**I'm making a new YouTube channel that is going to be strictly devoted to me vlogging my personal life.**

**I've vlogged a lot before but I never really got anywhere with it.**

**Anyway, my first vlog is going to be a Q&A and I'm letting it be dedicated to you all.**

**Basically, ask me as many questions as you like and I will answer ALL of them! (Within reason)**

**Seriously. Ask me ANY question you want. Any question about me personally or about my fanfictions or anything. I don't care. :)**

**I wanted to do a little something for you guys, above and beyond writing fanfiction. (Btw, the next chapter will be up very soon) So this first vlog will be dedicated to all my loyal readers.**

**There is no limit to the number of questions you can ask me. Go for it. Just ask me questions in the review! :)**

**Thanks guys! LOVE YOU ALL!**


	21. 4 months part 2

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I've missed you all a whole bunch! But I have good news! There's only 27 days left of school! WOO-HOO! I have one more official summer left before I become an adult! I start my senior year of high school in the fall, and then I'm outta here for good! :D **

**Wanna hear some even better news? I'm making a movie! I've been writing a feature film called "COURAGE!" and it's about these six kids in high school that have to overcome all kinds of great adversities in life, even though those things they go through are very common in life. It's a great story and I hope you guys will get to see it someday. But anyway, I have people that are interested in helping me produce the film so it's actually going to get made THIS SUMMER! How cool is that?**

**I know a bunch of you probably freaked out because I promised you all a sequel when this story's over, well, don't worry, that's still going to happen. You can count on me. I'm not turning my back on all of ya'll. This is just such a HUGE opportunity for me, and I just wanted you guys to know. :)**

**Anyway, I cannot thank you all enough for sticking around for this story. It really makes my day a whole lot better to know that I have people reading and appreciating my work. paigematthewsfan21, lalabelle, XHush-HushX, Ace5492, rockdragon293, craxygirl54, hprandom554, dianehermans, fireangel08, Taylor, robinscorpiofan, ReadingRed, arubagirl0926, BpDs89, Tutourgirl23, Ana CB, GHJaSam4Ever, Bella Zed, Brooke. rayne, and AussieGirl16 THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING AND REVIEWING!  
><strong>

**lalabelle: Don't worry, you aren't the only one wondering that.**

**XHush-HushX: Noah's not gonna die. I won't kill any more characters off, I promise.**

**hprandom554: Oh he will. But even then, it won't be over.**

**robinscorpiofan: Noah's my baby too. I'm not gonna do anything too drastic to him. I, myself, love Brathan as much as the next person. I didn't realize how much until I started writing this story though. Peyton's got a thing or two up her sleeve. ;)**

**ReadingRed: You are right as rain. :) Good job catching on to that.**

**Ana CB(New Reader!): Thanks for reading my story. I'm glad you like it. I would love to check out your stuff. You can never read too many fanfictions. :)**

**GHJaSam4Ever: We will find out in the NEXT chapter what's really going on. But, as I've stated before, it's complicated.**

**Brooke. rayne: Lucas isn't really supposed to be anyone's favorite character in the story right now. For the most part, this fic focuses on Brooke and her story about growing up. But in the sequel, which is centered five years later, the focus is on Lucas and he becomes the hero of the story. Brooke's kinda teetering on the edge right now with all of this stuff going on. She might not be as strong as everyone thinks. I'm not trying to forcefully write this story anymore. To be honest, when I first started it was like that, but I just got over it really quickly. Right now, the reason we aren't getting as much Brooke and Lucas as a couple is because of where the story is turning its corner. This story doesn't exactly end on a happy note, but it ends at a GREAT place to pick up into the sequel where all the Brucas fans get their happy ending. Nothing about this story is forced for me anymore. It's actually coming very easily to me.**

**Thank you so so so so much for being patient with me and for loving this story. I really hope that there will be people out there that love and support my movie as much as you love and support this story. Luckily, for all of you that have been waiting so long, I was kinda already writing the next chapter while I was writing this one. Why? Because the next chapter is absolutely, definitely, 100% the climax of the story and nobody's gonna see it coming. :D Enjoy... while you can**

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><p>Brooke sat in the waiting room for at least an hour longer. She sat, tapping her fingers and stared at the clock. Nathan waited there with her, trying to comfort her fears. All she could think about was losing Noah. She had already lost her baby girl without even really knowing her, so the thought of losing her son, whom she had grown close to, was just too much for her to handle. After the first twenty minutes of waiting, Haley had come down to support her too. But Lucas? He was nowhere to be found, and Brooke was getting tired of it.<p>

"Brooke, maybe you should call Karen." Haley suggested.

"No." Brooke swallowed. "No, I'm his mother, and I need to handle this like an adult."

"But you're not an adult; You're seventeen!" She whispered. "You can't handle everything on your own... What about Lucas?"

"What about him?" She asked coldly.

"We'll, he's the father! He should be here, don't you think?"

"He's not answering his phone." Nathan explained.

"Well, where is he?"

"I don't know, why don't you ask Peyton?" Brooke mumbled.

"Brooke." Nathan snapped.

"Brooke, are you mad at Peyton or something?" Haley asked.

"Yeah, or something." Brooke said, turning away.

"Lucas isn't cheating on you with Peyton, Brooke." Nathan said.

"Wait, what?" Haley blurted. "Lucas is cheating?"

"No, he's not." Nathan urged. "I know Lucas... he wouldn't do that to you."

"Nathan, do you forget that Lucas _did _cheat on me with Peyton when I got knocked up?"

"He didn't know that." Haley said.

"That shouldn't matter!" Brooke screeched. "Lucas was, and still is, _my_ boyfriend."

"Trust me, Brooke," Haley said, "I know him better than anybody and I can promise you that he's changed. He's a good guy. Whatever he's been doing with Peyton, it's not wrong."

"Okay, that may be," Brooke said, with tears in her eyes, "but any time I need him with _me_ he's out with _Peyton_. And our son is fighting for his life right now, and where is he?"

"Right here." Nathan said, standing up. Lucas ran down the hallway right to them.

"Brooke!" Lucas called when he caught sight of her. Despite her anger toward him, she broke down, running into his arms, crying. "I got your message; what's happening?"

"It's Noah." Haley blurted, standing up.

"What? What about Noah?" Lucas asked, pulling Brooke closer to him.

"He's really sick." Brooke blubbered, barely lifting her head from his chest. The last thing she wanted to do was forgive Lucas for being estranged lately, but she couldn't help herself. She needed Lucas to be the strong, caring guy that she fell in love with. Now more than ever. But, to her, he just didn't seem like that guy any more.

"Well, what happened?" Lucas asked, getting more and more frantic.

"He started coughing and then he just wouldn't stop." Nathan explained.

"Well, what do they think is wrong with him?" Lucas asked.

"We don't know." Haley answered.

"He... He stopped breathing." Brooke cried.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Lucas asked, getting teary-eyed himself, but not letting Brooke notice.

"I don't know." Brooke's voice shook. "I can't lose him, Luke, I can't!" She cried, clinging onto him, nearly falling to the floor. He held her up and pulled her closer, as tight as he could. He kissed the top of her head, still holding onto her, trying not to think about losing Noah. If he had lost Noah after the death of their baby girl, Roe, Brooke would be all he had left. The doctor walked down the hall, approaching the four young parents.

"Ms. Davis?" The doctor said, wiping his brow. Brooke pulled herself away from Lucas as fast as she could and turned to the doctor.

"Is he okay?" She asked, wiping away the tears.

"Your son suffered from severe respiratory distress. He developed a condition called Respiratory Syncytial Virus. It's the most common germ that causes lung and airway infections in infants and young children. That's why he was having trouble breathing. It's usually found in premature infants or children with a certain form of heart disease. His lungs stopped working for a short time, and his heart also gave out for a few moments. But, no worries, he was able to recover quickly."

"Oh, thank God." Lucas said, hugging Brooke. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"However..." The doctor's voice resounded throughout the room. "We need to take certain precautions to make sure this doesn't happen again. Is there a history of lung disease in the family? Asthma?"

"Not that I know of." Brooke answered. Lucas shook his head.

"What about any kind of heart condition?"

"Uh... No, our family is healthy as far as I know. Right Luke?" Brooke asked.

"Uh..." Lucas didn't know how to answer. He didn't want Brooke to know the truth about his HCM, but he couldn't keep what he knew from the doctor if it could save his son. "No... not exactly..."

"Luke... what are you talking about?"

"Son, if you know something, you need to tell us." The doctor said. Lucas swallowed hard and looked at Brooke who was very confused. He realized that protecting his son was more important than having Brooke feel comfortable with the ignorance he was letting her feel.

"I, uh... I was diagnosed with HCM a few months ago. My... _father_... has it too."

Brooke looked at Lucas with fire in her eyes, holding back tears. "Lucas... tell me you're joking... You said... You said you didn't have it."

"I know... and I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want to make you more worried-"

Brooke turned away from Lucas and faced the doctor. "Can I please see my son?" She asked, almost crying. "Alone?" She added. The doctor nodded and walked off with her. Lucas hung his head, sighing. He knew he really screwed up. Nathan and Haley walked up to Lucas.

"Lucas..." Haley said, almost crying. "What the hell?"

"Luke, why didn't you tell us?" Nathan asked.

"I didn't want her to worry." He confessed.

"Lucas, she's a mom... of course she's going to worry." Nathan said.

"You're right... you're right. I'm-I'm an idiot." Lucas sighed. "You know what, Nate? Why don't you, uh, take Haley home... she needs to rest. I'll stay here with Brooke."

"You sure?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah... I gotta talk to her anyway. You guys go ahead." Nathan and Haley nodded and walked out of the hospital. How was Lucas going to get himself out of this?

;

;

;

Brooke sat in the hospital room by Noah's side. Noah was on a ventilator, breathing steadily. She sat there, watching him sleep, ready to jump into action in case he made any sound. Lucas stood in the doorway, still feeling bad about lying to Brooke. He cleared his throat to let Brooke know he was there, but she barely moved.

"Is he okay?" Lucas whispered. She didn't answer him. "Brooke, I'm sorry." He apologized.

"Sorry for what?" She snapped.

"For not telling you the truth about my HCM. I shouldn't have kept it from you."

"You're right, you shouldn't have."

"It was a mistake, and I'm sorry."

"You've been saying that a lot recently." She said, still not looking at him.

"I know... I haven't really been the same lately..."

"Yeah, I noticed." Brooke finally turned around to looked at him. "What's going on with you Luke? I miss the guy that I used to know. What happened to the guy that said I was going to change the world someday?"

"He's still here." He said, stepping closer.

"Really?" She said, standing up in anger. "Because it seems like that Lucas Scott has been gone for a long time." Brooke paused for a moment. "Is this about Noah?" She asked.

"What does that mean?"

"Ever since Noah was born... you've been acting all sketchy."

"Sketchy how?" He asked, unable to understand.

"I don't know... It's just... You're never around when I need you. Especially today."

"I'm sorry. My phone was off. I was busy."

"_Busy_... So busy that you couldn't be _here _when I needed you? What was so important Lucas? What was so _damn _important that you couldn't be here?"

"It _wasn't _important... I was... I was helping Peyton remodel the Comet."

Brooke scoffed when she heard where he was. "Of course. I should've guessed. I mean, you're _always_ with Peyton!"

"I didn't know this was going to happen, Brooke! ... I'm sorry."

"Stop saying that Lucas! Just stop! Stop making excuses, and stop being gone all the time!" Brooke calmed herself down, realizing Noah could wake up any second with all their screaming. "You need to be around more Luke... You're his father."

"Okay... Okay, I promise. I'll be here more. I won't disappear again."

"I hope you mean it, Luke... I really hope that you mean this."

"I do." Lucas stepped closer and grabbed Brooke's hands. "Brooke, you know that I love you... and you know that I love Noah. I'd do anything for the two of you. I'm sorry if I've been a little out of it lately. If it makes you feel better... I'll stop leaving the house for a while, okay? I'll be there for him more. I promise." Brooke finally put her guard down and Lucas stepped forward to hug her.

"I just don't want you to turn into Dan." Brooke whispered.

"Oh God." Lucas whispered. "That's not gonna happen, baby. I promise."

"You'd better mean it."

"I do." He kissed Brooke on the top of the head, sighing. He realized he just gotten himself out of a huge dilema. Brooke pulled away from Lucas, then kissed him on lips. He was surprised; not sure if Brooke really loved him anymore, but clearly she did.

"I'm sorry." Brooke sighed, hugging him tighter.

"It's okay..."

"Are you gonna stay until we bring him home?"

"Of course. Brooke, I'm gonna be here with you forever." Brooke nodded and the two sat down next to Noah. "It's late... Get some rest Brooke... I'll watch him for the night."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Brooke pulled her chair closer to Lucas and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'll be right here if you need me." Lucas put his arm around Brooke and watched Noah sleep. The scare had finally died down from the whole situation and Lucas was finally able to relax. He wasn't sure how things got to the way they did, but he knew that if he wanted things to change, he'd have to change things himself... and soon.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Am I scaring anyone yet? Am I hinting at something? What do you think's gonna happen? No, don't answer that... you'll never guess. MWAHAHAHAHAHA<strong>_review_**HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**


	22. 5 months

**Author's Note: Hey guys! It's been way too long since we've done this! Anyway, I'm sorry that it took so long to update. I know I promised a lot of you that this chapter would've been up a day after the last, but I've had SO much going on. Remember that drama club I'm a part of? Well, they picked officers for next year, and guess what? I'm VP! It's crazy right? On top of that, my movie is officially going to be filmed because now I have an official director. I am so blissed out right now that it's not even funny. However, I've had some hard days too. My sister just got out of the hospital and I've got AP exams and finals coming up, so I'm a little stressed out. But I HAVE to finish this story. I promise I won't let you all down. So thank you so much for reading and reviewing. It means the world to me. It lifts me up when I'm having a bad day and it motivates me when I'm having a good day. So thank you all so much. paigematthewsfan21, dianehermans, XHush-HushX, Bak32, robinscorpiofan, fireangel08, craxygirl54, AussieGirl16, Bella Zed, BpDs89, Brooke. rayne, arubagirl0926, hprandom554, and DANI OTH Thank you SO much for giving your hearts to this story. It really makes me so happy. **

**paigematthewsfan21: Lucas will always have a tie to his son no matter what. :)**

**dianehermans: I can imagine. That's probably why most of you are Brucas fans.**

**XHush-HushX: Brooke is Lucas's "pretty girl", she's always going to need him, and Lucas is never going to give up on her.**

**Bak32: I've already mentioned a few times that it's more complicated than that. It'll all be explained in this chapter, but a lot of you are going to think the reason is stupid. Hopefully someone gets it.**

**robinscorpiofan: That would never be Lucas's intent. He really was concerned, it shouldn't have appeared otherwise, so I guess that was my mistake.  
><strong>

**Bella Zed: HAHAHA! Couldn't have said it better myself. But you'll probably be saying that at the end of this chapter.**

**Brooke. rayne: Peyton definitely knows, but that doesn't really have a whole lot to do with the Peyton/Lucas thing. I don't intend for something to pop up again, but that's not to say that I won't change my mind later. Brooke's not about to cave on that situation, not yet anyway. **

**hprandom554: I LIVE for the fireworks. Haha, and this is the perfect chapter for it.**

**DANI OTH: Thank you so much. Again, don't ever worry about reviewing late. At least you stuck around, unlike a few people. It's an indie film, and the title is "COURAGE!". I think you guys are the perfect target audience for my film. :) I really think you'll enjoy it. If you have any more questions about it, shoot me an email. :)  
><strong>

**You guys are the best! Thank you all soo much. And now, as I promised, the climactic scene of the story! (We're almost at the end, guys!)**

* * *

><p>Lucas went in for a layup and let the ball bounce away from him when it made it through the net. He paced around the court, still fretting over what happened with Noah. He had been beating himself up for what had happened to him and for not being there for him. He was at the point where he actually needed to <em>ask<em> Brooke to go to the Rivercourt. He wasn't sure anymore if he was ready to be the kind of father that Noah needed. He grabbed the ball again and shot a free throw, missing. Peyton walked up, watching Lucas try to shoot the ball and laughed.

"Nice shot." She joked.

"Yeah, yeah. Nice legs. Ha ha." Lucas said, unenthusiastically.

"Wow. Broody much?" Peyton smirked.

"Sorry. I've just kinda been down on myself lately, and I haven't been in the best mood."

"Is it because of what happened with Noah?" Lucas looked at Peyton, wondering how she knew. "Brooke told me."

"I deserve it, though, you know. I should've been a better father to him."

"Hey, hey, don't talk like that. It's not your fault. You gotta know that."

"Eh, I don't." Lucas sat down on the benches, Peyton followed after. "You know, Brooke's been nothing but amazingly caring since Noah was born. She's been through more than a lot of us will ever go through. So I kinda feel like I've failed her."

"You haven't failed her Lucas. You gotta know that she loves you. She's crazy about you! And it means the world to her that you stuck around for her and the kid. You really proved her wrong about you by being there for her." She put her hand on his shoulder. "Brooke kinda thought the worst of both of us when we did what we did to her. And you proved her wrong. You showed her that you are this great guy... and that you are a great father. There's no reason for you to feel bad about yourself. You're a good guy, Luke... Don't ever question it."

Lucas sighed loudly. "My son means the world to me... and I feel like now I have to work twice as hard to show Brooke I love him to make up for my lack of being there. I can't use my being a new dad be an excuse to tap out and leave the house whenever it's too much for me. Brooke's there twenty-four hours a day and... I'm there maybe ten... I need to start being there. Wh-What if I was suppose to be watching him for the day? What if that was me in Brooke's position? I wouldn't know what to do. I sure as hell wouldn't think enough to take him to the hospital. I'd be too busy freaking out."

"See, I don't believe that. I think that you have these instincts inside of you that you don't even know exist. You're a good father, Lucas. Stop beating yourself up over this."

Lucas sighed. "She thinks that there's something going on between us." He confessed.

"Why would she think that?" Peyton asked.

"Because... I haven't told her the truth yet?"

"LUKE!" She gasped. "Lucas, you have to tell her!"

"Tell her what? That my mom isn't paying for our rent and that I'm the one paying for it? I can't tell her that!"

"Why not?"

"Because...! If she knows that I'm paying the rent, she's going to want to help pay too, and she's not going to be able to do that without a job."

"And the problem is...?"

"Brooke can't get a job right now. Not while she needs to be taking care of Noah."

"Luke, you should just tell her. This all seems a little silly to me."

"Well, not to me." Lucas ignored Peyton at this point and sat down on the benches.

"Lucas, if it's getting to the point where Brooke thinks you're cheating on her... you need to tell her the truth."

"I can't."

"Why not? I don't see what the big problem is here! Besides, as far as I'm concerned, if you tell her that you're doing all this to help her, she'll realize what a great dad you really are. Lying to her is just making things worse."

"I can't... she got so mad at me when she found out about my HCM... If she knows about me going to Dan for money... you know she'd freak."

"That may be, Luke, but if she thinks you're cheating on her, she might just end up leaving you."

"She wouldn't do that."

"Are you sure about that, Lucas? What if you thought she was cheating on you? Would you stick around?"

"Yes, I would."

"Luke! You're being ridiculous!"

"I love her Peyton. And I'm doing everything I can to make sure she knows that."

"Apparently not! Luke, you have so many more options here!"

"Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe actually getting a job? Or maybe _asking_ Karen to help pay your rent?"

"I can't do that. I have to support my family by myself."

"Oh my God! Lucas, you are being so stupidly chauvinistic right now that it's not even funny! Luke, you're seventeen! You don't need to do all of this by yourself! Karen will help you if you ask."

"Peyton, you don't understand!" Lucas shouted, surprising Peyton. He calmed himself down before explaining himself further. "If I ask my mom to pay our rent she won't be able to afford for me to go to college! I can't get a scholarship because I'm not playing basketball any more! If I don't go to college, I'll never get a good job and I won't be able to support Brooke and Noah now _or_ then! If I get a job now, my grades will start to drop and then I'll never be able to get into college! Don't you see Peyton? _That's_ why I can't tell Brooke the truth!"

"So... all of this... because you need to get into college? Luke, that makes no sense!" She laughed. "You are thinking _way _too much into this. You will be able to get into college. There's no doubt in my mind. You don't need to try and handle this all yourself; you're just one person."

"But I need to do something!... I don't wanna be like Dan..." He confessed.

"Lucas..." Peyton sat down next to him. "If you don't wanna be like Dan... don't. Stop using that as an excuse. Because by going to him for help... you're creating a tie to him. You need to cut that tie off... and fast. Do whatever you need to do, Luke, but do not keep going to Dan for help."

"I don't know what else to do Peyton."

"Let _me _help then."

"How do you mean?"

"I mean, _I'll_ pay for your rent. You won't need to get Dan's help and you can go to school and your mom can pay for you to go to college. Besides, as long as I'm paying for your rent, you won't be leaving the house to do Dan's dirty work... and you can be home more."

"Yeah, but-"

"Brooke doesn't need to know. Just let me help you until you figure out what you're doing."

"Peyton... I couldn't let you do that."

"But I'm going to do it anyway. Luke, you both need my help... and I love you guys so much. So I'm gonna do what I can."

"Can you even afford it?"

"Are you kidding me? My dad forwards me a check every month for living on my own. It's like twice the money need monthly. I'll be fine."

"But-"

"Luke... If I thought for one second that this would be a problem for me, I wouldn't even suggest it. Let me help. I'm not taking no for an answer, so just say yes."

"Peyton."

"Say yes."

"Okay!" He laughed. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

"All right, that's better. Now go home to your girl and your baby. I'm sure they need you."

"Thank you Peyton." Lucas smiled, walking off the court. He realized, after talking to his friend, that he was being ridiculous. Lucas just didn't want Brooke to think of him as anything less than the guy that got her pregnant, and by telling her the truth, he felt she would resent him even more. But he knew now that, that wasn't the case. Because, at the end of the day, Brooke loved that guy that gave her the greatest gift ever.

;

;

;

Brooke sat in her bedroom, staring at the TV. She was watching home movies. Brooke hadn't really felt the same since the accident with Noah. She really hadn't felt the same since he was born. Everybody had noticed that Brooke was different but they all assumed it was because she was becoming a mom. That might have been it, but she really couldn't tell anyone what it really was that she was feeling. She couldn't help the tears that rolled down her cheeks as she watched more and more of those videos.

_"Good morning." Lucas said as he snuck up on Brooke in the nursery._

_"You're not filming again are you?" She smiled, a little embarrassed._

_"Of course I am."_

_"Oh, Luke! Stop it." She laughed. "You know the camera adds ten pounds."_

_"What's ten more pounds? You're already as big as the side of a house." He joked._

_"Gee thanks." She joked back._

_"I'm just kidding. You know I think you're beautiful."_

_"Yeah? You have a funny way of showing it." _

_"No, it's true. I can't tell you how excited I am to have those two beautiful babies in our home in a few weeks."_

_"Well, good, because I'm excited too. I'm also a little nervous."_

_"Why?"_

_"I don't know... What if something goes wrong?"_

_"Baby... nothing's going to go wrong. I promise. Everything's going to be perfect." _

Brooke turned off the TV and cried into her hands. She still hadn't told anyone about those nightmares she had been having. The one where there's nothing except darkness and the sound of her baby girl crying. And on most nights, it feels like she just can't wake up. She was getting tired of all of it. She left her bedroom and walked around, looking for Lucas. She let him leave the house for the first time since Noah's accident, but she figured he'd be home by then. She walked into the kitchen when she heard Lucas's phone ring. He left his cellphone at the house so he wouldn't have to worry about people calling to bother him. Brooke picked up his phone and saw that Karen was calling. She pressed ignore, not wanting to talk to her. When the screen went blank she saw that Lucas had seven missed calls. She looked to see who had been calling him and was not shocked to find that it was Peyton. She was way past sucpisious at this point. She knew she shouldn't have, but she looked through his previous calls. Peyton was all over the list. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. In a fit of rage, she threw Lucas's phone against the wall, and sat on the floor to cry. It took her a few more minues of crying before she got up and pulled a bottle of liqour out of their pantry. She sat back down on the floor and drank the whole bottle in less than a minute. Again, in anger, she threw the bottle against the wall, watching it shatter. She was so uncontrollable at this point, but she knew she needed to calm down. She found the strength to get up off the floor and walked into the nursery where she found Noah sleeping in his crib. She put her hand on his belly and watched him take deep breaths in and out. She just stood there watching him, trying her best not to cry.

"Hi button." She whimpered. Brooke took his tiny hand in hers. "Mommy just wanted to tell you that she loves you. And that I know I make mistakes sometimes..." Brooke started sobbing. "... and I just want to know that you'll forgive me if I ever do something wrong. Because I don't wanna do anything wrong. But sometimes mommy just can't help it. I wanna know that you'll still love me, and that I could never do anything to make you want to leave me. And you know, your daddy and I..." Brooke took a deep breath in. "... we might not be together forever... and I want you to know that it's not your fault. It's just... everything's been so hard on mommy. Sometimes I feel like nobody understands me... that nobody feels the way I do and that... there's nothing I can do to make it better... I just can't deal with everything — life's too hard. And I know life's going to be hard for you too... and hopefully daddy makes it easier for you... But mommy can't stay. So she's saying goodbye." Brooke reached into the crib and kissed Noah on the forehead, not waking him up. She walked back into her bedroom and started packing some bags.

;

;

;

Lucas walked into the apartment, shocked to find the house such a mess. Not to mention the shattered pieces of his phone lying on the floor next to the shattered pieces of a liqour bottle. Lucas closed the door behind him, wondering what had happened. "Brooke?" He called out for her. There was no answer. Noah started crying from in his nursery, and Lucas's blood ran cold. He rushed into the nursery and found Noah sitting up in his crib. "Hey... Button, you're sitting up on your own! Look at you!" Lucas reached into the crib and picked up Noah. "I'm so proud of you, buddy." Noah continued crying, as Lucas expected, but something was different. He didn't seem to be crying the way he usually did when Lucas held him. Something was wrong. "Where's your mom, bud?" Lucas asked, looking around for Brooke. Lucas set Noah back down in his crib and looked around the apartment. He walked into the kitchen and found a note on the counter. He was hesitant to pick it up, but when he did, he read it with a heavy heart.

_"Dear Lucas. This isn't working. I don't know how it got to this, but I just can't do it anymore... You need to know that I still love you, but I just couldn't stay anymore."_

Lucas swallowed hard, hoping it didn't mean what he thought it meant. He ran into their bedroom and found all of her things were gone. But when he ran outside to see if her car was still there... it was. And all of her things were in the car. So where was she? He ran back into the house, panicked. "Brooke?... Brooke?" He didn't know what to think, or what to do, or where to look. He picked up the note and read it again. It took him a minute, but he finally figured it out. He dashed to the bathroom and tried to open the door, but it was locked. "Brooke!" He tried to break the door down again, and again... and again. Eventually, the hinges broke loose and he nearly fainted when he found Brooke passed out in the bathtub. "Brooke! Oh my God! Brooke!" He reached into the tub, pulling Brooke out, water sloshing everywhere. Her skin was cold and her pulse was weak. Lucas's heart nearly skipped a beat when he found her. But it was definitely enough pressure to give him a heart attack. "Brooke, baby, wake up! Wake up!" He held Brooke close and tried to slap her awake. He tried everything he could, but nothing worked. "Brooke! Brooke, wake up!" After a few minutes of trying to wake her up, nothing was working. He didn't know CPR, but he gave it a shot. She was still very much alive and was breathing, but her breath was very shallow and Lucas had to do something fast to save her. He wasn't going to lose her; not now. He kept trying CPR until finally she started coughing. Lucas breathed a sigh of relief and held her close. "It's okay baby, breathe! Breath! It's okay! You're okay... you're okay...!" Brooke kept coughing, unaware of her surroundings. She wasn't sure what exactly was happening. And all she wanted to do in that moment was cry. She grabbed onto Lucas's shirt and started sobbing. Lucas held her closer, as tight as he could. "You're okay, baby, you're okay. Shhh. It's okay. I love you." She didn't say anything back. She just wanted to cry a little longer. And she knew that Lucas would take care of her, so she held onto him until she was too exhausted to cry. They laid there on the bathroom floor until Lucas had the strength to take her to the hospital. Lucas was no hero, he just did what any person would do for someone they love. But at this point, Lucas was wondering whether or not Brooke really loved him to do something as extreme as what she did. Or maybe it didn't have anything to do with Lucas at all...

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><p><strong>Author's Note: OMG! YOU GUYS! OMG! Who guessed it? Who thought they guessed it? Who was totally wrong? lol, sorry if the ending is a little... meh... but it'll get better. Promise. :) Review Please!<strong>


	23. 5 and a half months

**Author's note: Well, hey there. :) It's been a while since we've done _this _dance, huh? Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that it's finally summer for me! I've been out of school for about five days now, so that's good. However, that's my only bout of good news. Because, unfortunately, I have a lot of bad news. Let's number it so we don't lose count!**

**1. Because I'm a lazy sack of bones, I'm behind a few credits. What does that mean exactly? It means that there isn't enough room on my schedule next year to get all the credits I need to graduate, and unfortunately I only have one final year. (I guess that counts as good news too. I'm officially a high school senior!) Anyway, because I'm behind a few credits, I need to do online schooling. Which isn't such a bad thing, by the way. I don't want any of you to think that I won't have time to write this story because I'm still doing schoolwork. The online courses are a LOT easier than the actual classes at school AND I get to work at my own pace. However, I will still need to spend a little of my time focusing on that instead of this. Hopefully not a lot, though.**

**2. I know a lot of you were really excited to hear about my new movie, well guess what? It's probably not happening. As of right now, there are just too many factors that I need to consider to make this video and to be quite honest, I don't want to be responsible for anything that happens and I'd rather not get sued or go to jail for not knowing what I'm doing. For those of you that aren't sure exactly what I'm talking about, there are tons of things I need to do legally to make this movie work and unfortunately, that's going to cost me a lot of money that I don't have. So, as of right now, it's not happening.**

**3. _It's fuckin' storming over here!_ So, because I live in Florida we get hurricanes a lot. Granted, we haven't had a real hurricane here in almost five years, but in '08 there was a really bad tropical storm that killed like six or seven people. Anyway, we're in the middle of a tropical depression right now, which isn't terrible, but two people have died and four are missing. I know that, that's terrible, but trust me, it's been worse. Anyway, the power at our house has been going in and out like you wouldn't freaking believe. It's a nightmare over here. So, that being said, there may be instances where I'm unable to have access to the internet. But I'll try and keep in touch. You can always check to see if I'm alive by checking my twitter. I'm on everyday, so don't worry.**

**4. This is by far, the worst news... The story's almost over! WHAT?**

**Another piece of good news, however, is that I have come up with SOOO many ideas for the sequel. You guys are going to love it, I promise. ANYWAY, I've been rambling. Let me get to reviewing your reviews! Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Thank you XHush-HushX, paigematthewsfan21, BpDs89, Isabel camilla Scott, fireangel08, Ace5492, dianehermans, AussieGirl16, arubagirl0926, hprandom554, DANI OTH, GHJaSam4Ever, Bella Zed, robinscorpiofan, Sawyer. Brooke, and craxygirl54.  
><strong>

**BpDs89: Was it really? I don't want to ever make this story hard for someone to read. :( Sorry if it was a little too much for you.**

**Isabel camilla Scott: Working on it. ;)  
><strong>

**fireangel08: I'm sure everyone was in shock. And Brooke realizes what she did was wrong, but she's not sure why she's been acting like this exactly. She would never intentionally do anything to burden Noah. Especially not as something as serious as killing herself. That's why Lucas has plans to get her to feel better. **

**dianehermans: He is Lucas, after all. Lying is what he does. Just kidding. Omg, that was my CMM tourettes going off. Sorry. No, Lucas is doing what he thinks is best for his family, but sometimes he doesn't think about how every little thing he does could affect them negatively. He'll realize it eventually, if not already, by now.**

**hprandom554: A lot of you have been concerned as to why Lucas has been lying and I know a lot of you don't really like the way he's acting, but he'll try and fix everything eventually. **

**DANI OTH: That's funny. That's exactly what Lucas was thinking. She just held her breath under the water until she passed out. When you pass out, you breathe involuntarily, so if she was under the water when she passed out, she would've inhaled a ton of water. And that is the definition of drowning. :) And thank you for the congratulations, even though it isn't working out. I appreciate it. The director is an indie director, and I'm not sure that he wants me to give out his name, so I'm afraid I can't do that just yet.  
><strong>

**GHJaSam4Ever: That's exactly what I wanted people to think. YES! Haha, I got you. Things will work out eventually.**

**Bella Zed: Couldn't have said it better myself. :)**

**robinscorpiofan: Lucas has definitely been presented with a heap of stress and pressure in having a family to take care of. But that's exactly the point; his reason is only SOMEWHAT justified. Brooke is the mother of his son and he needs to learn to be open with her. If he felt that Peyton was the only person he could talk to about the situation, then maybe he needs to learn to grow up somehow. That's part of how this story will come to an end. **

**Sawyer. Brooke: Aww, you're so sweet. Thank you for doing that. That's part of the reason that they've been so distant lately. Now, can you blame Brooke for not wanting to let him in when he's keeping all this stuff from her? When this story started out, it was about Brooke and her journey to grow up as she became a mother. Lucas looked at this as an opportunity to be... well, a guy. He never thought about him actually having to grow up himself, and that's where the story is ending up. The sequel is about how Lucas has finally learned to grow up and he has to convince Brooke of that, who may have given up on him entirely. I can't promise that the Leyton friendship will end, but it will definitely stop being sketchy soon. The very last chapter of this story is very intense and hopefully will get some tears out of my readers. **

**craxygirl54: He will. ;)**

**You guys are NUTTY! No, but seriously, I am SO blessed to have people, as dedicated as you, reading and enjoying my story. It means a lot to know that I can use my craft and shift a relationship that I don't even like and turn it into this pair that I have fallen in love with. You guys have made me fall in love with Brucas. (Well, MY version of them.) Maybe because One Tree Hill is gone now, I don't know, but I feel so good being able to sit at my computer and jot down a bunch of words to come up with this story for these characters that people seem to find so incredible. I'm not a professional. I have no idea what I'm doing, and yet I do it, and you guys respond with so much passion, and it makes me so grateful. So thank you. 3**

**Now get to reading! :)**

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><p>"Welcome back Brooke." The therapist smiled as she sat down in her chair. She looked over at Brooke who had a glazed look in her eyes. It had been nearly three weeks since Lucas had found her drowning in the bathtub. When he took her to the hospital, Karen and Keith convinced him that the best thing for her was therapy. So they took her. And two times a week for three weeks she had gone to that therapy session, sat down in the same chair for fifty minutes, and every time said nothing. She refused to say a single word to Olivia, the therapist, even after six sessions. As far as any other therapist was concerned, Brooke was the best patient ever. They wouldn't have to do anything to help her. But Olivia didn't think the same thing. She wasn't going to give up on Brooke any time soon.<p>

When the session ended, Brooke stepped out of the room and looked dead at Lucas. He had hoped she would tell him that they made some sort of amazing breakthrough she looked at him with cold eyes, saying nothing. Olivia stepped outside as well to meet up with Lucas.

"How'd it go?" He asked Brooke with a nervous smile.

"I'll be in the car." Brooke said, walking off in a the other direction. She walked down the hall, not even glancing back.

"No change?" Lucas asked, turning to the thearpist.

"No change." Lucas let out a sigh of exasperation, sitting down.

"Look, I've gotta ask, doctor..." Lucas lifted his head to look at her. "... Is there something wrong with her? I mean, I know that she's dealing with her depression and everything but... is there a reason she isn't talking about it?"

"Lucas, most depressive patients have a hard time talking about what is wrong with them because they don't _know _what is wrong with them. It's not uncommon."

"How can you fix it?"

Olivia sat down herself. "Unfortunately, the only thing we can do for her right now is wait until her mood advances and she feels comfortable talking about it."

"I'm sorry, but that isn't going to work for me... We have a baby at home." He said with urgency in his voice. "We have a baby at home and she tried to kill herself while he was sleeping in the next room. She loves him more than anything and would never do that to him unless something was wrong with her. Something is wrong with her and I _can't _wait until she feels better... She needs to _be_ better. So what is it that I need to do to fix this. There has to be something I can do to fix this."

"There is." Olivia said, touched by his speech.

"What? What is it? I'll do anything."

"Well, if she's not speaking to _me_, I can't really speak to _her_... That is, unless I have questions to ask her that may trigger what's really bothering her." She implied.

"I'll let you know whatever you need to know. Anything you need to hear."

"Okay... When do you think the depression started to kick in?"

"I don't know. I didn't know anything was wrong until I found her in the tub."

"She's never shown any kind of frustration or depression before? Her mood hasn't been unstable?"

"No more than usual." Lucas smirked. Olivia raised an eyebrow at him. "What? She just had a baby; it's normal for her to be hormonal, right?"

"Well, naturally, yes, but that's not to say that it hasn't been too much for her at one time or another. Has she had any difficulties while parenting?"

"Not really. I mean, parenting is hard, but we get through it together. She's kinda like my mom, y'know, always there at any time with anything you need. Brooke's like a freaking helicopter." Lucas chuckled.

"And yet nothing... abnormal happened to get her more stressed than usual?"

"Not that I know of. I mean, a couple months ago our son got sick and we had to take him to the hospital."

"How old was he?"

"Four months... and he was a born a few weeks early, so he was still pretty small. It was kinda scary, but he's okay now."

"And what was wrong with him?"

"I don't know. Some sort of respiratory distress."

"Does Brooke have a medical condition like that?"

"Uh... yeah, she has asthma... Why is that important?"

"Just trying to connect the dots. Has she had an attack of asthma before?"

"Not recently. But she told me that she was twelve the last time it happened."

"And what about the first time? Do you know when that was?"

"... She was three." He said, remembering the one time they talked about this.

"And?"

"Well, she doesn't remember it... but her mom told her that she needed to play outside because she was busy. Her mom was inside working and her dad was... _out_ working... It was spring... She went outside to play and then... she collapsed. She was down for almost ten minutes before her mom found her on the front lawn... Said it was so bad that she was on a respirator for a week."

"Sounds like a very traumatic experience."

"Yeah, but she doesn't even remember it. You think that would have something to do with this?"

"It might. Sometimes an underlying problem has to do with something you can't remember happening to you. But when she was told this story, it must have frightened her... Maybe made her wonder how hard the experience would be if it happened to her own child. But there could still be something more to this. You said her parents were both working... were they around a lot?"

"No. Her parents kinda resnted her no matter what she did. Seeing what her parents are like makes me glad that I at least had one great one."

"What _are_ they like; her parents?"

"Evil... Well... not eveil, that's kinda harsh but... they're very twisted people. They've kinda lost their way in life."

"how did they feel when they found out she was pregnant?"

"Betrayed. They had this life mapped out for her and pregnant at seventeen was not an option. They said that they could never love a person that was as careless and naive as her. But they're wrong..."

"And what did you think when she got pregnant?"

"I was scared!" He admitted. "What was I supposed to feel? I didn't know what to do... I never, ever pictured my life like that at all."

"Did you regret the fact that it happened?"

"At first I did... I kinda wanted to turn back time, but... she wanted to keep the baby. And she's showed me how amazing she has been with all of this, so I'm glad I stayed. I stayed because I love her. And she needed someone in her life that would help her because her parents wouldn't. The actually kicked her our because of it. Her mom had her legally disowned and her dad probably beat her."

"Her father is abusive?"

"He used to be. Who knows for sure now?... There's really no hope for him, if you ask me... Her mom has a chance with her though... She showed up when Noah was born and actually supported her."

"And her father didn't?"

"Of course not."

"And what about your parents?"

"My mom and uncle supported me. My mom was actually pregnant at seventeen too, so she's been there."

"And what about your father?"

"Probably doesn't even know I had a son."

"He's not around either?"

"He's _never_ been around. It's who he is. That's part of the reason I stayed for Brooke... I didn't want Noah to grow up without a father. And I didn't wanna end up like my dad. But I also didn't want Brooke to be alone."

"I think we've talked enough about your parents and her parents, but I don't think we've talked enough about who _you_ are as a parents. How would you describe that aspect of you?"

"My parenting? God, I don't know... I can't really judge myself, this is the first time I've ever done something like this."

"Do you think you've turned into your father?"

"God, no. I'm there for Brooke almost every time she needs me."

"_Almost_?"

"Well... I mean, there are some times that I just can't be there."

"Can you name an instance?"

"Well... when Noah got sick. I didn't get to the hospital right away."

"Why not?"

"I was with a friend and my phone was off."

"Has something like this happened before?"

"Yeah actually... When Brooke was in labor. I didn't get there until after Noah was born and my friend told me what happened..." His voice trailed off.

"What happened?"

Lucas stood up from his chair. "You know what, Brooke's waiting, I should probably get going-"

"Lucas." She tried to stop him. "We're finally getting somewhere... What happened?"

"With all due respect... I-It's not something I feel comfortable talking about."

"Maybe that's why Brooke doesn't feel comfortable talking about it. I can't break through to Brooke if there's something there that you aren't telling me."

Lucas wanted to stay and explain the situation because he wanted to help Brooke more than anything, but he didn't realize that it was so hard for him to talk about it as well.

"I'm sorry. I... I have to go." Lucas headed down the hall, regretting that he couldn't explain more to the therapist. She watched as he left her there, clinging on for more information, hoping what she had from him was good enough to get through to Brooke. Lucas headed back to the car where Brooke was staring out the window with a blank expression on her face. He sat in the driver's seat and put his seatbelt on, not saying a word to Brooke. Just as he was putting the key in the ignition, Brooke lifted her head.

"That took a while." Brooke said, mildly.

"I was... just talking to the therapist." He said, shrugging off her attitude.

"That's a lie."

"Excuse me?" He said, looking at her confused.

"You couldn't have had anything to say to her, because she didn't have anything to say to you."

"Is that right?"

"Yeah... She's not helping you know."

"Maybe she isn't helping you because you aren't willing to be helped. Look, I'm sorry Brooke, but if you're not even going to talk to her, then maybe this is just a waste of time."

"Maybe you're right." She said, still not caring to look at Lucas. "I didn't want to go in the first place."

Lucas knew that she was trying to get him to pull her out, but he wasn't ready to do that. "You gotta go at least one more time Brooke."

"Why do you care?"

"Because...! You never know..."

"She hasn't helped me before and she's not going to help me now. I don't have a problem."

"Yes you do!" He shouted, desperately. "Brooke, you do have a problem, and I'll I'm trying to do is help you! Why can't you see that?"

Brooke wasn't willing to fight with him; at this point, she just didn't care anymore. "Just take me home, Lucas."

"Brooke-"

"I wanna see my son...!" She still hadn't turned her head to look at him for a single moment. Lucas looked at Brooke, trying to understand where she was coming from.

"... Fine..." He started the car and drove off. When the finally got to the house, Brooke went straight for the door, not daring to look back at Lucas. When she got inside the house, Nathan and Haley were in the living room. They stayed there to watch after Noah whenever Brooke had a therapy session.

"Hi Brooke." Nathan said as she walked right past him and into the nursery. "Bye Brooke."

Lucas closed the front door and sighed. Haley stood up from the living room couch, pregnant belly and all, and walked up to Lucas. "No better, huh?" She asked.

"No. She's just as bitter now as she was three weeks ago."

"Don't take it personally, man. She's been through a lot." Nathan said.

"I know. She just seems so hopeless."

Haley jumped in, "Yeah, but she's gonna get her hope back eventually, Luke. It's just takes some of us longer than others, you know?"

"Yeah." Lucas said, hanging his head. "Look, thanks again guys."

"It's no problem." Nathan said.

"How are you feeling Hales?" Lucas asked, hugging his friend.

"Great. I feel great. Jamie's getting big and he'll be here in about two weeks." She smiled.

"That's good. You make sure my nephew's healthy, all right?"

"Of course. But you've gotta take care of mine."

"Okay." Lucas smiled.

"So, what exactly happened at the session today?" Haley asked, sitting back down.

"Nothing good. She still hasn't talked to the therapist, and I'm convinced that without he doing that, there's nothing we can do for her... So, I talked to the therapist myself."

"Luke! You can't do that!" Haley gasped. "Doesn't that violate some sort of patient/doctor confidentiality thingy?"

"I-I don't know. I just wanted to help her..."

"Maybe I should go talk to her." Haley said, getting back up.

"No, don't worry about it." Lucas stopped her. "Besides... she won't even talk to me about it. Just go home, okay? I'll take care of it."

Haley sighed, not wanting to comply with Lucas, but realized he was doing what was best for Brooke. "Okay... Will you please call us if something changes?"

"Absolutely." Lucas hugged his best friend and smiled at Nathan as they both headed out the door. Haley turned back to Lucas before shutting the door behind her.

"Hey Luke...?"

"What's up?" He asked, turning back to her.

"Be careful with her, okay?"

Lucas nodded. "Okay. Goodnight."

"'Night." Haley and Nathan headed to their car as Lucas sat down on the couch. Lucas sighed, putting his head in his hands. Brooke stood in the hallway with baby Noah sleeping in her arms.

"Hey." She whispered. Lucas looked up to see Brooke with their son. "... One more session. I'll talk to her this time, okay?"

Lucas nodded his head. "Yeah."

"I just don't want you to think that I'm _a waste of time_." Brooke said, starting to tear up.

"No, no, baby, that's not what I meant." Lucas walked up to Brooke and held her shoulders. "I just wanted to help you."

"I know... Thank you." Brooke smiled lightly. Lucas kissed her forehead and picked up Noah.

"Let me take him. You need to get some sleep."

"So do you."

"Fair enough." Lucas put Noah back in the nursery and walked off into the bedroom with Brooke, hoping to get rid of the tension they had between them this afternoon. They laid down for a rest and Brooke fell asleep right away, while Lucas stayed up watching her to make sure she was okay. If there was one thing he wanted to make sure of, it was that Brooke would get better eventually. And he wouldn't sleep until that happened.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Sorry that this chapter wasn't any good. I've been in a funk. :P Anyway, here's what I want from you guys! Aside from reviewing the chapter, I would LOVE to hear what you guys would want to see in the sequel. Keep in mind, the sequel is four years later. Also, I'm going to update my profile eventually, because it's just been sitting there like that...<br>ANYWAY, yeah, let me know what you want to see in the new story. ONLY SIX CHAPTERS LEFT!**


	24. 6 months

**Author's Note: Wow... I coulda sworn this chapter was a lot longer than it says it is. Well, whatever. Quality over quantity, right? This chapter is pretty hefty in terms of dialogue, and it's a very talky chapter. Those are the kinds of chapters I enjoy writing most, mainly because I'm not into description because I tend to repeat the way I explain things a little. :/ But anyway... I wasn't expecting this chapter to turn out like this, but it kinda happened. Now, before any of you get too crazy, Brooke's gonna reveal something that you all may not be ready for, but it all gets settled in the end, so DO NOT jump to conclusions. Anyway, now that that's out of the way. :) I'd like to thank you all for reviewing. paigematthewsfan21, BpDs89, arubagirl0926, ReadingRed, hprandom554, XHush-HushX, dianehermans, Isabel camilla Scott, AussieGirl16, Brooke. rayne, fireangel08, DANI OTH, LovelyLily07, and Tutourgirl23 thanks so much for reading, reviewing, and caring. **

**BpDs89:I hope that you just mean that it seemed like something was up. lol, I'm hoping I didn't really update a half-ass chapter for you guys so... yeah.**

**arubagirl0926: Your review made me lol. Idk why. You were just so simple in explaining it, and I loved that.**

**ReadingRed: That seems to be a trend. lol**

**hprandom554: I was thinking about that too. It's pretty cool to know how far this story has progressed and how the characters have grown as people and how I've grown as a writer. :) I'm totally excited by the way. I turn seventeen in exactly one month and it's all so surreal!  
><strong>

**XHush-HushX: Yeah? That's interesting. I've never thought of that. **

**Isabel camilla Scott: Oh, Baley and Brathan will be all over the place in the sequel. **

**Brooke. rayne: Yeah, a lot of people mention that they're forced in this story, and I don't think that's it at all. Admittedly, I wanted them to be a littler forced as I started it, and when I helped my sister get caught up on the show, I saw a little more Brucas, and I started to tolerate them a little more. At first, I just tried to picture Lucas as Julian when I wrote, but now I picture Lucas as Lucas. And that's not because now Brooke and Lucas have distanced themselves from each other, but because while they may not be able to see eye to eye, I realize that Lucas does have this heart inside of him that is so great, and that he is a little misguided, but he tries so hard. And Brooke tends to think that everyone turns from her because of something she does, when in reality she tends to push people away. And it's pretty invigorating to write two characters like that and try to make them work with each other. I know that isn't quite happening at this point in the story, but it was like that while she was pregnant and it will definitely be like that in the sequel.**

**fireangel08: They'll get their happy ending. I know some people are getting worried, but it will all work out in the end. :)**

**DANI OTH: Brooke will definitely be addressing some serious issues that she is struggling with. Some of those things might not even be known to you guys. But once she comes to terms with things, she's gotta help Lucas come to terms with things too. And thanks, that means a lot. :)**

**LovelyLily07: Hey! Thanks, I appreciate it. And it's nice to hear that new people are reading even though we're almost done with this journey. :)**

**Tutourgirl23: Thanks. I named her Olivia because... well, because that's the name of the therapist that Naley and Brooke went to see in the show. lol. Yeah, so that's why.**

**Wow. You guys are a nutty group huh? It's crazy. But you guys are amazing. You bring so much light to my life, so thank you for that. With that being said, keep in mind, some stuff will be said in this chapter that may surprise you. I know, you're thinking "How can we possibly have any more surprises at this point in the story?" Well... just wait. lol... enjoy.**

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><p>Brooke sat in the chair at the therapist's office, barely moving. She promised Lucas that she would go back to therapy and try to make some progress, but she was still finding it hard to talk with Olivia about what was wrong with her. Brooke looked down into her lap where her pager sat. She checked it about every minute it seemed. After about ten or so minutes, Olivia spoke up.<p>

"If you don't mind my asking, I notice you keep looking down at that pager. What's it for?"

"Oh... my friend Haley's pregnant... I have it in case she goes into labor and I'm not around."

"Are the two of you close?"

"Very." Brooke smiled.

"How did the two of you meet?"

"It's a long story." Brooke chuckled, remembering the first time they met when she was as high as a kite.

"What about her and Lucas? Are they close?"

"Yeah." Brooke chuckled a little. "They've been friends since they were eight or so... kinda like me and my friend Peyton."

"Would you consider Peyton your best friend?"

"Yeah? I dunno... lately? I dunno..."

"Did something happen between the two of you?"

"Well, that's one way to put it... She and Lucas were sleeping together while he and I were dating."

"Sleeping together?" She inquired.

"Well... They both said that they've never had sex with each other but... I don't know, am I just supposed to believe them because they tell me something is true? I mean, Lucas told me he wasn't seeing her at all... And that turned out to be a lie."

"You've never lied before?"

"Of course I have." She admitted. "I'm human, I'm flawed, what do you expect? But... I rarely ever do it to hurt the ones I love. I do it to protect them. I'd never deliberately lie to someone's face because I'm hiding something... I'd never do that. Lucas doesn't seems to have a problem with that though."

"For the man who happens to be the father of your son, you don't seem to be very fond of him." Olivia said, confused.

"No, I... I love Lucas... You have to understand that. And for a long time, he was my best friend and he helped me with so much... but lately... I don't know, I feel like he doesn't love me enough. You know, like I'm not good enough for him any more. And I've just... been trying to find out what I did wrong that made him feel that way."

"Have you talked to him about this?" Olivia asked, touched by what Brooke had said.

"No... But I've talked to Nathan about it."

"Who is Nathan?"

"He's my friend... He's Haley's husband... Lucas's brother... He's everything." Brooke smiled.

"Sounds like you and Nathan are more than just friends." Brooke shook her head, not answering. "What are you thinking?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"And yet, you're here." She took another moment to respond.

"I think I may... I may have feelings for Nathan." She revealed. "But I don't know, it's... it's way too wrong... you know, for that kind of thing to be true. I-I love Lucas and... Nathan's with Haley and... they're having a baby... I mean, it's wrong, right?"

"Do you think it's wrong?"

"You know, you're not helping." Brooke said, a little exasperated.

Olivia chuckled, realizing all she was doing was asking questions. "Can you tell me a little bit more about that? You and Nathan?"

"I never believed it was possible to love two people at one time... but I do."

"We love our mothers and fathers in the best of all worlds. Other than your father, who was the first man you loved?"

"I don't know if I ever loved my father. I didn't know him well enough to love him. So I think the first man I loved was Lucas. He was- he was my first... everything. He was my... first friend... my first real lover... And then... we grew apart. I don't know... I just grew up, he grew up and we wanted different things. Then Nathan came along... And Nathan was so good... _so _good to me and took such good care of me. And he and I became friends and... he just became... a rock. I never had... someone I could depend on and it made me feel like, 'Don't do that, don't-don't... Don't depend on anybody.'... Even though I knew he was dependable. I did every thing I could _not_ to depend on him. And the one time I needed him the most... he didn't show up."

"What do you mean by 'he didn't show up'? Lucas didn't 'show up'... what happened?"

"When I went into labor... I was alone. Well... I wasn't alone, but... Lucas wasn't there."

"Why not?"

"He was with Peyton."

"And when Noah got sick... He wasn't there either. He was, again, with Peyton... And he lies to me about his heart condition and all these other things and I just..." Brooke looked down and sighed. "Nathan's there for me. He was the one that kept me from losing it when I had to take Noah to the hospital and... he's the one that helped me when I had to deliver my baby girl."

"You have a daughter?"

"No, I don't."

"I don't understand."

"I _had_ a daughter... Noah's a twin. He had a baby sister and... she didn't make it. And I feel like that's what's been pushing me and Lucas away from each other... and that's why he doesn't support me. And why he never shows up."

"And you feel like, by him not supporting you, he doesn't show up?"

"When he does things like... lie to me... and cheat on me... and... take advantage of me... he's not showing up for me."

"How did he take adavantage of you?"

"He just... He's a guy. He's _the_ guy, you know? The guy that... does and says anything he can to get what he wants out of girls. And one day I realized I just didn't care anymore... After a while, things just got worse. And I... I wanted him just _once_ to choose _me_. Just choose _me_. Don't make me _ask you _to be there, just... _be there._ I wish he would've showed up, that's all..." Brooke lowered her head. "But, Nathan does. Right or wrong... he shows up. And that's why I love him- _he shows up_."

"He shows up?"

"When it matters... _when it matters_."

"Can you tell me a little bit about Nathan?"

"Nathan... goes... above and beyond... to make sure I'm safe. And _nobody_... has _ever_ done that for me... _nobody_."

"You feel safe around him?"

"Always... And..." Brooke started to cry hysterically. "When Lucas is out having a good time doing whatever with my best friend, I find myself at home, alone with our baby. So who do I turn to? Nathan. Nathan is the kind of guy that will come over and just sit with me at two in the morning and just talk with me, you know, because he gets it. _He gets it._ And I'm worried that I'll never have anyone in my life that will _ever_ understand that. You know, when I constantly wonder why I had to be the one to lose a baby, he reminds me that it wrong for me to blame myself. And... and he takes the time to tell me I'm beautiful, and that-that I a wonderful person, and I know it's all wrong, and I just... _I can't do anything about it_!"

"This is an extremely difficult time that you're going through." Olivia said, nearly on the verge of tears herself.

"I'm trying to understand what everything's for. Just... you try to help people and you try to love people and it all just ends up being extremely hurtful and painful. I'm seeing that I have these... _unbearable_, _debilitating_, _suppresive _standards... that _no one _could survive under; _no one_ could win in. How could you love someone... with those standards? That's not love, that's control, that's... trying to protect yourself from... feeling, and falling, and... being alive. I think I thought that... Lucas had some magic key... where I would finally not feel... alone. And then to come across someone who... understood me and... didn't make me feel alone, but then it not be right... Now I'm questioning everything. _Nothing_... makes any sense." Brooke sighed and stared out the window for a moment. "Let me tell you how unsafe feelings are. Feelings spin you out of control. Feelings don't help you make the right decisions. Feelings... amount to what? Amount to what? You feel _for what_? So that you can just hurt... and just make a mess of everything?" She stated, growing increasingly upset. Brooke grabbed a tissue and wiped her eyes. She sighed again and was silent for a few minutes. "Talk to me about... the deepest recesses of your thinking."

"Yes?"

"How one is satisfied by... dark pleasures."

"What do you mean?"

"Revenge... The pleasures of eye for an eye... What is that?"

"Simply a question of morality."

"Morality... Morality... What is moral?... What is moral?... Is it immoral to hate your best friend for hurting you?... Is it immoral to... love a man who... took care of you in a way that you've never been taken care of before although he is... promised... to someone else? Is it immoral to be going through so much and to see your friends going through so much, but you turn your back because you are swimming in your own abyss of confusion and pain?... Morality... What the hell is that?" Brooke looked at her therapist and waited for an answer. That was a question she didn't have an answer to, and it was a question that no one seemed to have an answer to. "Do you have any idea... what love is?"

"I can tell you that we come to know love growing up. What do you remember about your childhood?"

"The house was always so loud... I would've loved just... one moment... of silence... just once... That's what I remember."

"When you picture that... how old are you?"

"Six."

"Six... Did you have any brothers or sisters?"

"No."

"So it was just you."

"Yes."

"You wanted love... Where was your father?"

"He was around."

"He was around?"

"Yes... he was around."

"But I know it was hard and there was pain... and you talk about your father in a very distant way. Angry?"

"I don't think I knew _how_ to be angry. I probably should've... told Lucas what I needed... and I should've had the courage... to tell my father what I needed."

"Where was your father? What do you remember?"

"Unconcious on the couch... with the privilage of being absent..." Brooke took a minute to think back on something. "I had a dream once... where I thought someone was trying to break into the house... and I ran all over the place looking for my father... he wasn't there. And when I woke up, I was crying... So I ran into my parents bedroom so I could hold my dad... and he wasn't there. I think that's the day I realized that he would never be there for me... ever."

"So your father wasn't there to protect you... and Lucas wasn't there either. And that's why you try so hard to protect your son. What we know about love when we grow up is what we experience again."

"Yeah..." Brooke frowned. "With everything that you've heard today, do you think I'm worthy of forgivenss?"

"What is it you want forgiveness for?"

"For having failed to know how to love."

"But you've proven you _do_ know how to love. What are you going to do for yourself?"

"I don't know..."

"What are you going to do about Lucas?"

"I don't know..."

"What are you going do about Nathan?"

"I don't know... but I do know this... I don't feel bad about not knowing... but I don't know."

"What are you going to do about yourself?"

"I plan to... show up... for Brooke. That's my biggest plan of all for me... I'm gonna show up. And I'm going to do right by me and my son from now on."

Olivia nodded, proud of what Brooke was doing for herself. "If you want my opinion... I don't think you love Nathan. I don't think that's the case at all. You've never had that kind of support from your parents and when you get pregnant you got that support from Lucas... and when things started to change... you turned yourself away from Lucas. And when Nathan was the one that was there for you, you turned to him. You don't really want to be with Nathan, do you?"

"No." She cried. "I want him to be with Haley... and I want to be with Lucas."

"What is it that you want out of Lucas then? What is it you're searching for?"

"I don't know... I guess... I want him to the be the person I wish I had around when I was a kid... The person that... will protect me and love me and... just be there for me. And I never had that as a kid. That's why... that's why I wanted to be a mom. You know, I wanted to- I wanted to prove myself, and show other people that it doesn't matter how you grow up and that you _can_ do right by others even if you didn't grow up around it. But what do I do to fix everything?"

"You need to talk to Lucas about this. Tell him how you're feeling... every bit of it. And if he doesn't promise to love you with all of his heart... maybe you should decide to look elsewhere for love."

"And what if I can't find it?"

"You will. Whether you find it in a man that you can spend the rest of your life with or not... you'll always find love in your child. And hopefully in yourself." Brooke smiled, realizing she was right. Olivia looked up at the clock and realized they were out of time. "Brooke, I realize that you are going through a lot. And it's not uncommon for a woman with post partum depression to attempt suicide... Have you attempted suicide before?"

"I almost attempted it once..." She said ashamed. "The reason I came here is because of the second time. I tried it... and I failed."

"Does that upset you?"

"No. No, I'm glad I'm still here. I would... never want to hurt Noah, and doing something as stupid as that..." Brooke swallowed hard. "I couldn't do that again."

Olivia nodded, understanding. "Brooke, are you breastfeeding?" She asked, pulling out a notepad and pen from her side table drawer.

"Yeah... Why?"

Olivia started writing on the notepad. "I'm going to have to ask you to stop for a few weeks."

"How come?"

"I'm writing you a presciption for and SSRI." She said, handing her the paper after she stood up.

Brooke looked at the paper, standing up from her chair. "Antidepressants?"

"I only want you to try it for a few weeks. I don't think that what you're going through is that serious, but the things you've been experiencing while your body is still changing is a little too much at once."

"I understand." Brooke smiled politely.

"And you'll have to keep me updated every two weeks..." Olivia said, opening the door for Brooke. "That is... if you plan on coming back. Will I be expecting you again?" Olivia asked, hoping that she finally got through to Brooke and that she could finally fix her.

Brooke smiled and nodded. "I'll be here. Thank you." Olivia smiled and Brooke closed the door as she left. Brooke stood in the hallway, looking down at the prescription, a little stunned by the surrealism of the situation. Before she headed back to her car, she stopped in her tracks when her pager started going off. She looked down at the screen and saw _'911' _in big letters. She pulled out her cellphone and pressed 2 on her speed dial. "Hey Nate, I just got the page, what's up? Is the baby coming?... Okay... Okay, I'm on my way." Brooke smiled and ran off to her car to go meet her soon-to-be godson.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Well? How do we feel about that? lol, don't worry, nothing's going to happen between Brooke and Nathan. It's all harmless. And yes, for the billionth time, Brucas will get their happy ending eventually... but it may take a time jump to get there... anyway, review. Also, if you think of some more ideas for the sequel, I'd love to hear them. No matter how wild and crazy. Your opinions matter guys. :) And thanks again!<strong>


	25. Author's Note 5

Hey there guys. Can I start this off by saying I miss you guys?

I wanted to write this update for you guys to let you all know that I'm not dead. I realize it's been almost 3 weeks since I've updated, and I apologize for that. I've been extremely caught up with SO many things that it's just too much to explain.

But, if you must know, school has been taking up a whole lot of my time. Luckily, I'm about halfway done with both of my online courses, so that's good.

Now you wanna hear something REALLY cool? I'm part of this project called vidders4acause! If you know about it, great! If you don't, I'll tell you. Either way, you guys can help me out. Vidders4acause is a 2nd-year project where vidders all over the world get together to raise money for charity. The vidders make their videos and then people bid money on them so their charity can get the money. The person with the highest bid gets a video made just for them in return. If you are a part of vidders4acause already, feel free to send a request to me as a friend here: vidders4acause. webs apps/profile/44805246/ (Be sure to get rid of the space after the . 's) Anyway, you can learn more about the project here: vidders4acause. webs Those of you that want to help me, feel free to bid. All of the bids that are placed on my videos is going to the Fuck Cancer organization. As a person that has dealt with the situation, this organization means the world to me. So every amount counts. There is a minimum bid of $1USD, just to keep things fair. But, if you'd like to help me out, I would really appreciate your bids! You can check out any of my other vids on my YouTube.

Adding on to the fun an excitement, I am also going to be working on a project with some friends of mine called "My Roommate Charlie". It's a webseries about this girl named Erica who has to take in a roommate Charlie to pay for her rent, and he's not exactly the greatest roommate in the world... if you know what I mean. Anyway, it's not exactly my taste but the whole thing is being done very professionally, and it's really exciting for me, and I really want to do this since I haven't been able to do my own movie. We have a facebook page: www. facebook MyRoomMateCharlie and a YouTube account as well: www. youtube user/MyRoommateCharlie Please feel free to take a look. It would mean a lot to us!

Lastly, I'm writing a one-act for my drama class this year. Every year, the teacher picks three student-written one acts to go to a district competition to compete for state and to perform for the school. My one act is about this drama teacher who is putting on his first play and nothing seems to be going right. The entire play is about him and six of his students and it's basically the events leading up to opening night. The idea of the seven deadly sins and heavenly virtues also comes into play as the characters portray their personality. If you guys would like, I'd be happy to post it on here once it's finished.

Anyway, that's about all that's going on in my life right now. I'm dealing with some stuff in regards to graduating this year, so everything's pretty big and happening so fast, but I'll be sure to keep you updated. I can promise you all this much, this story will be finished by the time my birthday rolls around. In fact, I'll post the final chapter on my birthday. In case you wanna know when that is, it's exactly thirteen days from today. Excited? You should be. I'll be back soon you guys! See you then! xoxo


	26. Final Author's Note IMPORTANT

Well... this is the last time we'll be meeting like this on this story...

I wanted to say a couple things to all of you. First of all, I am tired of letting you all down. I know that you guys say that it's okay when I have stuff going on and how it takes me a little long to update my story, but at this point, it's just not okay. It's been nearly a month since I've posted a chapter. You guys are all so sweet, but it's just not okay anymore. I made a decision when I started this story to update as frequently as I could, and I haven't been doing that. So here's what's going to happen:

I originally planned for this story to last 25 chapters, but to make everyone's lives easier, I'm condensing it down to 23 chapters. (It's a better number anyway). Just so you know, I'm not cutting the story down at all. I'm actually making the chapters longer. And here's what's going down... I'm posting chapter 21 today (7/18), I'm posting chapter 22 on Friday (7/20), and I'm going to post the final chapter on Sunday, my birthday (7/22). We all want to get to the sequel as fast as we can right? I figure this would be easier. I promise you that this decision is not going to change. We are going to say goodbye this Sunday...

But only for a little while. We all want to see that sequel as soon as possible. However, I cannot promise you how soon I will get that started. Now that we're in the home stretch of my summer vacation, I've got a lot of school stuff to handle. I have to finish the two courses I have set up online right now, and then I have two more courses to start when I finish with those. School starts back up on August 20th, and I have a lot to deal with for my Senior year. I'm thinking it might be best to not start the sequel until I have the first few chapters done, that way I can work on some more chapters while you're all reviewing.

Now, I have a pretty interesting question for you all. Would you think it would be a good idea or a bad idea to incorporate music into the chapters of the sequel? I know this is a pretty strange question, but it's just an idea that I had. I was thinking about adding in songs that fit with the situation for that chapter at the time that the characters could "sing". Kinda like Glee, I guess. I know it's a little strange, and I don't know if I'm explaining that perfectly, but would you rather have the story be as realistic as possible, or would you like the experience of inviting a new song into the story every chapter? Urg, I don't know what I'm saying. If you understand what I'm trying to say, then please let me know what you think.

Also, I've planned a lot of key ideas for the sequel, but not how it's going to end... I have an idea for the ending, but if I go with that, that means we're going to have a sequel to the sequel. Would you guys be okay with that or would you rather end at two?

OKAY, so the final thing I wanna say... Thank you. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I have grown as a writer and as a person because of this story, and I wouldn't have been able to do that without all of sticking by me all the way through this story. I am so close to finishing this story, and I gotta tell you, it's a good feeling. I've only ever finished one story before and it wasn't very good, nor was it very lengthy. This story has come a long way. I am so blessed to have been able to do this, and I want to thank everyone that has been by my side for this. I wish there was something I could do for all of you because you cannot understand how much your love and support means to me. Thank you.

With that, I think it's time we say goodbye. This is the last update for this story, and I will miss you all dearly. Until the sequel...


	27. 6 months part 2

**Author's Note: Longest chapter ever? I think so. However, you guys really deserve it. I kinda jerked you around a little, making you wait nearly a month for an update. I never wanted to do that to all of you, so I hope this chapter does it justice for you all. But think about it... this story will be over in four days... Is it okay to cry yet? No. You all have to wait until the final chapter to cry... and trust me... you will. Mwahahaha. I'll do my best to explain everything later because a lot of new storylines are coming into place in this chapter. I know what you're thinking, "The story's almost over! Why are you adding to it? Tie it up!" Well... I am. Lol, like I said, I can't explain much, but I'll do the best I can. On another note, who thinks we can get this story to 400 reviews by the time it ends? I think we can! You guys have been wonderful. And if you haven't already, please read my last Author's Note. It's super important that my regular readers get to take a look at that. Anyway, let's get to the point. Thank you to everyone that reviewed! Thank you Tutourgirl23, Bella, Ace5492, GHJaSam4Ever, dianehermans, paigematthewsfan21, XHush-HushX, BpDs89, LovelyLily07, fireangel08, arubagirl0926, babyblues02, craxygirl54, ReadingRed, Sierra(I swear that wasn't me. lmao), AussieGirl16, bjq, hprandom554, OTH4life, Guest, DANI OTH, and darktwistygirl. **

**Tutourgirl23: If you think the last one was intense, you're in for a rude awakening in the last chapter. lol**

**GHJaSam4Ever: I'm sure we all were. I was writing it, and I couldn't bear to have her not go back to therapy. lol There will be plenty of happy moments in the sequel, but trust me... when you read the final chapter, you're gonna realize the sequel will also be full of drama.**

**XHush-HushX: Thank you. And just think, a year ago, I wouldn't have been able to write something like that. **

**fireangel08: Haha, no he won't miss it, but... **

**babyblues02: Thanks for all the consistent reviews. :) I appreciate it. It was nice to wake up to that in my mail's inbox.**

**craxygirl54: Thanks. I'm glad I made "major progress". :)**

**bjq: Right? Maybe he needs a time-jump to think about that...**

**OTH4life: You'd pay me to update? That's a little extreme. lol, I do this for fun, but I'm sure we can work something out. lol, my birthday _is _coming up after all. lol jk, I do what I can for you all. That's all I need from you. :)  
><strong>

**DANI OTH: Good to know. There's still plenty of wtf moments before this story ends, and plenty in the sequel.  
><strong>

**You guys are fabulous. Can you believe we only have two chapters after this? Oh, the grief! Anyway, I'm glad to hear that you all weren't worried about Brooke's pseudo feelings for Nathan. It seems like you all totally got the situation she was in. Also, I'm happy to hear any ideas you all have for the sequel as we push through the last bit of the story. Anyway, this chapter is very back and forth in regards to scene changes. It never stops, it goes from one scene to another back to the last one, so keep up. Thanks again, and enjoy the third to last chapter of "Something's Gotta Give"!**

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><p>"Nathan?" Brooke called out, running down the halls of the hospital, desperately trying to find her friend. "Nate?" ... She finally caught sight of him. "Nathan!" She said, running into his arms, afraid.<p>

"It's all right. It's all right. Haley's okay." He said, chuckling a little at the state of his friend.

"Are you sure?" She asked, pulling away from his chest.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm positive. The doctors are in there prepping her right now."

"Why aren't you in there?"

"Because Haley wanted me to make sure you got here before the baby did."

Brooke chuckled. "Leave it to Haley to worry about others before herself. You nervous?" She asked, sitting in a chair by the wall.

"A little... but I know it's all gonna be okay."

"Yeah. Of course." Brooke smiled.

"So where's the kid?" Nathan said, sitting down next to her.

"Karen has him. I was at therapy for the day."

"Oh, you're still going?"

"Yeah. It's funny... I feel like I actually got some clarity today."

"Why's that funny?"

"Because I would've been happier weeks ago when I started therapy if I just talked to her in the first place. And I didn't do it because I was stubborn."

"Is that really why? Or did you just not talk to her so you didn't have to get help from her?"

"Why wouldn't I want help from her?"

"Because maybe the person you want to help you through all this is Lucas."

Brooke sighed. "Nate-"

"No, look... I know that you guys aren't really in the best place right now with everything that's been gonig on, but Luke's a good guy, and you know that. And you're a great girl; you have so much to offer each other. I don't know exactly what your guys' issue is, and you don't have to tell me if you're not ready but... I hope you two move past it. You guys are so good together. And Luke really wants the best for you... and for Noah."

"Yeah, I know. It's just hard to trust someone again, you know? I mean, I've kind of moved past the whole thing with him and Peyton... but with everything I have going on... I need him to be with me more. I miss him. Isn't a terrible thing to miss someone that you live with?"

"I guess. Where _is_ Lucas anyway?"

"I don't know. I called him on my way over here... Voicemail."

"Ah. Right."

"Getting kinda used to it though."

"You want me to talk to him about that?"

"No, it's okay... it's something that _I've_ gotta talk to him about. I have to... talk to him about a lot of things..." She said, looking up at Nathan, trying to wrap her mind around the way she felt about him. Karen and Keith walked down the hallway with Noah in tow. Brooke smiled as she stood up and ran to Karen to grab a hold of her son. "Hi my baby!" Brooke squealed. "Hi baby! Hi!" She rubbed her nose against his and he started to giggle.

"How's Haley doing?" Karen asked.

"She's okay." Nathan answered. "She wanted me to wait out here for everyone to get here. It's still gonna be a few more hours anyway."

"Where's Luke?" Keith asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Brooke shrugged.

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Lucas ran down the halls of the hospital, looking around frantically. He slowed down when he saw Peyton sitting in the hallway. "Peyton, I got your call, what's up?" Peyton quickly stood up and wrapped her arms around Lucas, crying. "What? What's wrong? What's the matter?"

"It's my dad..." Peyton sobbed, barely lifting her head from his chest.

"What? What about your dad?"

"He's really sick Luke."

"Okay, calm down, Peyt. Tell me what happened."

"He was... he was doing one of his runs overseas and-and they said that he was feeling a little sick on the way back. But when the boat docked he passed out before he could get off the boat... and he hasn't woken up since. Luke, I don't know what to do!" Peyton cried. Lucas was stunned. He litterally found it hard to speak, not knowing what to say. But he knew Peyton needed him more than ever.

"Okay... Okay, hey, it's all right..." Lucas held Peyton closer, feeling terrible for Peyton. "Let's sit down, okay?" He and Peyton sat down together and she cried into his chest. "It's okay. Your dad's gonna be fine."

"But what if he's not?" She sobbed.

"He will be... Okay, I promise... I promise." Lucas didn't know what to do for Peyton. He wanted to do anything he could to help her, but he couldn't think of anything. He felt bad for Peyton, but he also felt bad that he had to be there for Peyton. He knew he was going to hear it from Brooke later on.

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"This is the third scariest moment in my life so far." Brooke said, holding Noah close to her, rubbing his back.

"Why's that?" Nathan asked, playing with Noah's hand.

"I dunno... I'm just worried about Hales."

"Yeah, me too. But we shouldn't be. You know, it's Haley after all."

"Yeah..."

"So why _third_ scariest? What were the other two?"

"The second was the day that I went into labor."

"And the first?"

Brooke almost didn't want to answer the question. "The first was... the day that I started to trust Lucas again."

"But it all worked out in the end, right?"

"Yeah, I'm not so sure that it has..."

"What do you mean? Something going on between you two?"

"Do you _see_ him here?" Brooke lowered her head, upset.

"Hey..." Nathan whispered, putting his hand on her shoulder. "What's up?"

Brooke wiped a single tear away from her eyes. "It's nothing."

"No, it's something. What's the matter?"

"It's nothing, I promise." She said, giggling away the real issue. "We should go in and see Haley."

"What about Lucas?" Nathan asked, standing up.

"Don't worry," Brooke said, standing up as well, "He'll get here at the last second, like always." Brooke and Nathan walked into the hospital room to be with Haley while they waited on Lucas, who just happened to be in another hallway.

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"They really think it's cancer?" Lucas asked, with fear in his voice.

"No, they don't know for sure but... it's all they have to go on." Peyton said, with a stuffy nose.

"Well... what are you gonna do? I mean, does your dad have insurance? Can you pay for the treatment?"

"I don't know... my dad handled all that stuff."

"I'm so sorry Peyton... really, I am... about all of it."

"Yeah..." She nodded her head. "Hey, thank you for being here for me, Luke... it really means a lot. But you don't have to stay here with me."

"Yes I do. You're my friend Peyton, you know I'd do anything for you."

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"How much longer do they think it's gonna be?" Brooke asked, sitting in a chair nearby Haley's hospital bed with Noah on her lap.

"They said it could still be a few more hours. They were gonna have me walk around for a little bit if I'm feeling up for it." Haley said, sitting up in bed.

"Are you?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Then I'd do it." Brooke laughed. "Trust me. Being pregnant is great and all, but when you're in labor, the only thing you can think of is having it be over. And you can't go backwards, so why not move forward."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. You guys gonna be okay here without me?" Haley said, getting up from her bed.

"I think we'll manage." Brooke chuckled.

"Okay, then I'll be back." Haley headed out the door.

"Be careful." Nathan called to Haley as she left. Brooke laughed at how cautious Nathan was being with his wife. "You think I'm gonna be okay at this Brooke?" Nathan asked.

"What? Of course you will."

"And you think my kid's gonna like me?"

"Absolutely! Noah adores you, Nate." She said, pulling her baby close to her.

"Yeah, I know that but... what if _my_ kid doesn't like me?"

"He's gonna love you, Nathan... He's your son."

"Yeah, and Noah's Lucas' son and he doesn't seem to be very fond of him. What if my kid likes Lucas better?"

"Nate, that's not gonna happen. And Noah loves Lucas... babies don't just hate their parents."

"I don't know, I just... it kinda sucks a little, you know? Getting ready to be a parent... it's scary."

"Yeah, it is. But you know, a really smart guy once said to me that no teen knows how to run their own life and that, that's the point. You learn to make your own mistakes and that's how you live life. But you get through it." Brooke smiled, hoping he would realize she was talking about him.

"Yeah, well, that guy doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Nathan... I have come a long way since I've been in the position you're in. And I got all that help from you. You helped me with everything that I need to be prepared for raising a child. You'll be fine. And whenever you're not, I'll be there. And you'll have Haley. God knows she is going to be one hell of a parent. Trust me... you are gonna rock this kid's world. I have no doubt in my mind."

"What happened to you Brooke? I mean, when did you become this person I could count on?"

"Around the same time you did." Brooke smiled.

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"I can't believe he has cancer..." Peyton said quitely.

"Hey... It's gonna be okay. The doctor said it's not that dangerous yet. They said after the surgery he should be fine." Lucas said, sweetly, to comfort Peyton.

"I shouldn't have let him leave... I knew he wasn't feeling good; I should've made him cancel his run."

"Peyton it's not your fault... You couldn't have stopped him from getting cancer."

"But what if I could have?" Peyton yelled. "You know...? What if I made sure he ate better and took better care of himself...? I should have been looking out for him."

"Peyton, he's the parent... your the child. Your job isn't to look out for him. His job is to look after you."

"But he's all I have Lucas!" Peyton sobbed. "And I can't lose that!" Lucas grabbed Peyton and held her close.

"Peyton, it's okay. It's all going to be okay. You're dad's gonna be fine."

"You can say that all you want, but that won't make it true...! I can't lose him Luke... I can't..."

"It's okay Peyton... You're not going to lose him. Besides, you'll always have me."

"That means a lot Lucas." Peyton said, looking at him with tears in her eyes. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Lucas looked at Peyton, feeling incredibly bad for her. Peyton looked back at him, feeling distraught, trying to find comfort. All of a sudden Peyton threw her arms around Lucas's neck and pressed her lips right against his. Lucas stood there for a momen, trying to process the situation but was nearly unable to. Lucas pulled away and looked at Peyton. He knew that what had just happened was wrong, and he didn't know what to do. "Uh... P-Peyton..."

"Oh God..." Peyton whispered. "I'm sorry... God, I'm so stupid!"

"No, no, you're not. It's okay."

"No, it's not. Ugh, Brooke's already mad at us for doing this the first time and now I- Ugh, I'm sorry."

"No, hey, it's okay. She doesn't need to know. It was a mistake, I get it."

"You're not gonna tell her?"

"No... It didn't mean anything anyway, right?"

"Right, right..."

"So then... nobody needs to know."

"...Okay..." Peyton said, not wanting to lie about that to her best friend. But she and Lucas both felt it was necessary to protect Brooke. "I'm sorry." She said, hugging Lucas.

"Water under the bridge." Lucas said. "Let's just sit back down, okay?" As they sat back down, Haley stood at the other end of the hallway, in shock at what she had just seen. She walked off before either of them saw her there.

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"Hi Noah! Hi!" Nathan said in a baby voice.

"Can you say mama? Ma-ma?" Brooke said in her own baby voice. Noah just giggled along as they tried to humor him. Haley opened the door and they both turned in her direction.

"Look who I found in the hallway." Haley said, as she stepped back inside the room. Surprisingly, Victoria walked in right behind her.

"Mom? What are you doing here?"

"I just came by to see you. Can I talk to you alone for a moment?" Victoria asked.

"Uh... yeah... okay." Brooke said, getting up, not knowing how Victoria knew she would be there.

"Want me to take him?" Nathan asked.

"No, it's okay. I got him." Brooke said, walking out the door with her son and her mom.

"What's Brooke's mom doing here?" Haley asked, getting back into her hospital bed.

"Maybe she wanted to patch things up with her daughter."

"Yeah, well if anyone needs to patch things up with Brooke, it's her boyfriend." Haley said, angrily.

"Lucas? Why?"

"I shouldn't say..."

"Oh, come on Hales, we tell each other everything... What's going on?" Haley contemplated telling him for a moment and then leaned over to him.

"Okay, but you can't say anything to anyone. Not even Brooke." She whispered.

"Why are you whispering? There's no one else in here."

"I don't know! Anyway, promise me."

"I promise." Nathan laughed.

"Nathan, I mean it... You can't say a word to Brooke."

"Okay, I promise."

Haley looked around the room. "... Lucas kissed Peyton."

"What? Again?"

"SHHHH!"

"Wh-when did you see them?"

"Just now! He's in the east wing with Peyton."

"What? Why? Why isn't he here?"

"Well, obviously because he's with Peyton! Look, Nathan, I mean it, you can't tell Brooke."

"Why not?"

"Because she's already paranoid that Lucas is cheating on her!"

"Because he is! Haley, I can't keep this from her..."

"Okay well... don't say anything... I'll talk to Lucas..."

"No, that's not enough..."

"Why not?"

"You gotta let me talk to him."

"Nathan, I'm his best friend, he'll listen to me."

"Yeah, but I'm his brother. This is something he needs to hear from me."

"You really wanna do this, huh?"

"I do..."

"Okay. Okay, you can talk to him, but can this wait until after I have the baby?" Haley chuckled.

"Yes, of course." Nathan chuckled along.

"I'm really proud of you for doing this Haley."

"Yeah? I'm proud of you too. You're going to be an amazing father."

"Well, you had amazing parents, so you have a lot more to look back on."

"We're gonna be fine Nathan." Haley smiled. "I promise. Always..."

"And forever." Nathan smiled back. He leaned over and kissed Haley on the forehead, knowing they were about to start an incredible journey together.

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"It's really nice to see you every once in a while mom. It really is." Brooke said, holding a squirmy Noah in her arms.

"Well... After what you went through, I felt terrible about saying the things that I said to you. A mother should never treat her child like that. And I do apologize, I didn't mean it."

"I know."

"I was just confused. I didn't know what to do when I found out you were pregnant. It's not that I felt you weren't ready for it... It's because I knew that I wasn't ready for it."

"I know. And I appreciate you coming to me mom. It means a lot."

"Well, I was wrong about you, Brooke. You clearly are better at this than I ever was. And I wanted to let you know that... you are a good mother... and I'm so proud of you for taking resposibility for all of this."

"Thank you. Thank you mom, that means everything." After a few moments of sweet silence, Victoria stretched her arms out.

"Can I... hold my grandson?"

"Yeah... Yeah, of course." Brooke handed Noah over to Victoria, smiling.

"Oh, he is just precious..." Victoria said, admiring her grandson. Noah looked up at her smiling.

"Taking a trip down memory lane?" Brooke chuckled.

"So what if I am?" Victoria sneered back. "Honey, I'm sorry for doubting you. I feel like a terrible mother."

"I wouldn't say that. You're nothing like dad, so that's a step up."

"Speaking of deadbeat dads... Where's the blond?"

"Lucas?"

"I guess." Victoria laughed. "I never knew his name."

"I talked about him all the time mom."

"Yeah... that was when I didn't listen... But I'm listening now. I wanna know everything. How is he? Is he a good father? Is he good to you?"

"Well, he loves Noah... there's no doubt about that. I feel like he could do more as a parent though. I feel like all responsibility gets put on me sometimes."

"So you wear the pants in the family, huh?"

Brooke chuckled. "No. I just... I watch after Noah more, that's all."

"Then make him watch your son. Do something for yourself."

"Like what?" Brooke chuckled, thinking there was nothing a teenage mother could possibly do for herself. Victoria handed Noah back to Brooke and reached into her purse to pull out a brochure.

"What's that?"

"It's a brochure for Rogue Vogue."

"What's Rogue Vogue?" Brooke chuckled, taking the brochure from Victoria.

"It's a showcase for emerging fashion designers to show off their designs. It's in New York. It's all legitimate and your designs will be modelled for all the major labels."

"Are you serious?" Brooke asked stunned. "But... But how did they even get my designs? I didn't even apply!"

"You're right you didn't... but... a tall raven-haired boy might've taken your designs when he was babysitting and called me to arrange the whole thing."

"Nathan?" Victoria nodded her head. "This is unbelieveable."

"It's in a few months, so you have time to prepare and organize a flight schedule and-"

"I can't go."

"What? What do you mean? Don't you want this?"

"Yeah, I do but... I can't leave Noah here. I couldn't do that."

"Honey... Lucas is the father... He can take care of things for a week."

"Mom-"

"No honey, listen... I haven't been able to give you all things that you need in life, and somehow you made it out the other side a better person. I want you to have this experience because you deserve it. And I know it may not be the best way to get back into your life, but I really want you to do this for you. You don't have to decide right away, but there is a deadline so... just think about it, okay?"

"Okay... Thank you mom, I just... thank you."

"You're welcome." Victoria hugged Brooke and was reluctant to let go. "You should go in there with your friend... support her."

"Okay." Brooke smiled, turning away.

"And Brooke..." Victoria called to stop her. Brooke turned back around. "I'm sorry about everything I've missed. With you and with Noah."

"Well... there's no time like the present right? I'll see you mom." Brooke smiled. Victoria smiled back and they both started to go in their seperate directions. "Hey mom... maybe should stay. I mean, when Haley's giving birth I can't have Noah in there... so someone's gonna need to watch him. Do you mind?"

"I would love to." Victoria smiled.

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About thirty minutes later Lucas finally showed up. Nobody asked where he was. Nathan and Haley knew, but Brooke was too focused on Haley getting ready to have her baby. The only thing on Brooek's mind was making sure Haley's baby got there safe and sound. A few hours later, James Lucas Scott was brought into the world. Everyone gathered around to see the new baby. Victoria had left after a while though, giving Brooke time to be with her friends. Brooke sat next to Haley in the bed, both of them holding their sons.

"Hi Jamie..." Haley whispered, smiling. "I'm your mommy. And this is your daddy, your Aunt Brooke, your Uncle Lucas, Aunt Karen, Uncle Keith..." She pointed as she called out each of them. "And this is your cousin Noah. We were all so excited to meet you... and here you are. We all love you very much." Noahs stared at the new baby the entire time, completely bewildered.

"Noah, this is your cousin Jamie." Brooke whispered. "Can you say hi?" Noah looked at Jamie, almost afraid, not knowing what he was. Brooke sat Noah on the bed next to Jamie. "It's okay buddy." Noah lifted his hand and gently put it on Jamie's face. Noah jerked his hand away when Jamie started to stir. Everyone chuckled lightly. "It's okay button. He's family." Noah looked up at his mom and smiled. He looked back at Jamie and quickly gave him a kiss near the cheek. Everyone _aw'd_ at the same time, seeing what just happened. Brooke picked up Noah and put him back in her arms. "Good boy, buddy." Brooke looked back at Haley. "How do you feel Hales?"

Haley looked down at her new baby boy and smiled. "Perfect." She said, looking back at Brooke. For the first time in a long time, everyone felt that this was a moment where the silence was okay, especially Brooke.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Whoa... That's a lot of drama in one chapter, huh? How are you guys feeling about all of this? Honestly. I do want to mention this though, because a lot of people have said it: I am not pushing Brooke and Lucas away because it is hard for me to write them together... I'm doing it on purpose. It has relevance in the sequel, I promise! Anyway, let me know what you guys think. How do you think this story's gonna end? What do you wanna see in the sequel now that stuff is being unraveled? I'd love to hear from you... you know... before it's too late to give suggestions. lol I love you guys. You are amazing. See you on Friday! Review! :D<strong>


	28. 7 and a half months

**Author's Note: Well, well... here we are... down to the wire. Anyone sad yet? Just me? Oh... ahem... anyway, this chapter is dedicated to all the people that messaged me privately about the last chapter... That's more than you think by the way. Haha, I got A LOT of private messages talking about how upset they were with me or the chapter content itself. I apologize if it didn't live up to your standards, but I promise you... for this story, and for this story only, I am pro Brucas. The last chapter is a bit unexpected, but I promise that you will all LOVE the sequel. It will all end the way that it needs to. I've decided not to add music to my sequel for a number of reasons, but I decided it was a bad idea. And anyway, as of now, there will not be a sequel to the sequel. I thought of a way to end the next story so that there can be a third one, but I think I thought of a great way to end the second one where that would be it. I think you'll all appreciate it too. Now, I would've posted this earlier, but I was out of the house for most of the day, and then I had a little (Not little, huge) spat with an idiot. For those of you that heard about the shooting in Colorado, well... I think you should read this. (www. twitlonger show/ief240) Someone decided it would be funny to joke about the situation... and I didn't, so I spent some time arguing with a few bigoted fools until they finally backed off. As Sophia Bush would say "Block Button Bitches!" ANYWAY! This is about the story! Thank you all for reading and reviewing and dealing with my crap. Thank you paigematthewsfan21, BELLA, darktwistygirl, BpDs89, sammy, lalabelle, Ace5492, GHJaSam4Ever, dianehermans, arubagirl0926, XHush-HushX, fireangel08, DANI OTH, babyblues02, LovelyLily07, OTH4life, annie, and craxygirl54 for reviewing. You guys are the best! **

**paigematthewsfan21: That's the last we'll be seeing of Victoria for this story, but she'll be back in the sequel. I'm glad that you all are okay with ****her now. **

**darktwistygirl: Right? Made me think of that too after I wrote it. :)**

**BpDs89: HEY! EVERYONE READ THIS! LUCAS WILL NOT BE A DISAPPOINTMENT IN THE SEQUEL! I know a lot of you are angry with him right now, but after this chapter you won't think so as much... in the next chapter you might think of him that way again, but in the sequel he isn't going to be a disappointment for a second. I promise. :)**

**sammy: I know that a lot of people think that way, but that's what the sequel is for. :)**

**Ace5492: It's wonderful AND amazing? Lol, I was going to say something in the last chapter, but you ruined it. lol I was going to mention how you always review the same thing every time, but then you go and change it. Haha, thanks though. Glad you liked it.  
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**GHJaSam4Ever: Unfortunately we won't get to see the scene. It had to be cut out because it didn't work with the way the story was progressing, and I know you all wanted to read their confrontation, but it just didn't work out. But don't worry, it happened, and you get the idea. :) **

**fireangel08: Thank you. That's all I'm asking is for a little trust from my readers. I try not to disappoint. **

**babyblues02: Thanks. That's all I want from my readers. :) **

**LovelyLily07: Haha, couldn't do without it. ;)**

**OTH4life: One of those will work out in your favor... one of those... well... yeah.**

**I really think this chapter is what everyone is looking for. It makes up for the last chapter, but doesn't not make up for the next one. We need a whole sequel to make up for the next chapter. But anyway, I really hope you find everything you want out of this story before it's over. We only have until Sunday. Who's ready to say goodbye to this story? I'm not... oh, just read before I start to cry!**

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><p>Lucas walked around the halls of Tree Hill high, sporting a week old black eye. Nathan finally summed up the courage to talk to Lucas about what happened with him and Peyton. He didn't want to get aggressive, but he wasn't expecting it either. Their conversation kept ringing in Lucas' ear. <em>"You need to be a man, Luke. Just tell Brooke the truth, or I'll do it for you."<em> Their argument was much too heated for words, but Nathan made it very clear that Lucas needed to own up to his mistakes. Lucas knew he was right, but he wasn't sure how to do it. It had been a week, though, and he still hadn't told Brooke. Then again, it had been a whole month since the kiss, and he didn't say anything back then either. He just didn't want to hurt Brooke, and he was trying to think of the right way to tell her. The fact that he hid the secret from Brooke hurt him more than the black eye. Nathan didn't even really hit him that hard. Brooke believed him when he said he got hit in the face with a basketball: another lie. Everything about the situation was killing him. He knew that there was never a right time to tell her, but he had to do it.

"Hey, Scott!" A guy called out from across the hall, waving Lucas over. Lucas looked around, confused and lost in his own issues, and then approached the guy he didn't know.

"Hey...?"

"'Sup?"

"Uh... Nothing... really... Uh, who are you?"

"Colton Peters. So how's your girl?"

"You know Brooke?... Lemme guess, old boyfriend?"

"Old _lover_." He said, clicking his tongue.

"Yeah, okay..." Lucas rolled his eyes.

"And how's that little boy a-yours? He cute?"

"Yeah..." He said, confused as to why this guy cared. "He's fine."

"Good. I'm glad you taking responsibility for it. I mean, if it was me, I wouldn't. And thank God it's not."

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? Dude, your girl and I hooked it up right before she got pregnant. Who knows who that kid belongs to?" His friends laughed along, agreeing with him. "Hey, but thanks, man. I don't know how to repay you for taking care of a kid that might be mine... or someone else... you never know. Anyway, I just wanted to say congrats. Takes balls to do what you did, Scott." Another one of his friends was waving him over. "All right, I gotta go, man. Lock it up." He said, offering Lucas a fistbump. Lucas stared at him for a second before walking off, leaving that idiot behind. He started to question it... Brooke and Lucas were broken up for a while before she told him about the pregnancy, and she was mad at Lucas for breaking up with her, but would she sleep with someone else to get back at him? He didn't know what to think. Could someone else really be Noah's father?

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Lucas walked in the front door of his apartment and set his house keys on the side table as he closed the door. Brooke was in the living room with a screaming Noah in her arms. "Is he okay?" Lucas asked, not knowing what was going on with him.

"He's fine." Brooke said, flustered. "He started teething last night and he's not taking it very well." She said, rubbing Noah's back, trying to soothe him.

"That why you didn't come to school today?"

"Well, that and I couldn't find anyone to watch Noah for the day." She turned her attention back to her screaming baby. "Hey, it's okay button. It's just teeth. Trust me, you'll be glad you have those eventually. Ooh, you can eat steak soon! Doesn't that sound good?... No?" Noah continued crying. "Oh, well I tried." She chuckled. "Shh, baby it's okay." She said, still rocking him back and forth.

"Don't we have any teething rings around or something?" Lucas said, looking under the cushions of the couch.

Brooke chuckled. "We didn't need them until now. I wanted to pick some up at the store, but I didn't want to bring Noah with me while he was in this shape, and since no one was home-"

"You couldn't go. Gotcha." He chuckled. "You can go now. I'll watch him."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. We'll be fine."

"I don't know Luke, he's... he's in a lot of pain."

"I know. We'll be okay. I'll think of something." Brooke looked at Lucas, knowing how badly he wanted to watch after him.

"Urgh! Okay!" Brooke laughed. She handed Noah to Lucas and he still kept crying.

"You know, I can't tell if he's crying because of his teeth or because I'm holding him."

"Stop it. He loves you."

"If you say so."

Brooke grabbed her coat and walked back over to Noah, holding his hands. "Mommy's gonna be right back, okay?" She kissed Noah on the forehead and then kissed Lucas on the cheek. "Call me if I'm not back in ten minutes." She said, walking to the door.

"Promise." Lucas smiled as she headed out the door. "Guess it's just you and me, huh?" He said, looking down at his son who was still crying. "Come on, we should have a nap, buddy." He said, taking his crying son into the nursery.

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After being unable to get Noah to go down for a nap, he decided to try feeding him. Luckily enough for Lucas, Noah took to it very quickly, and it seemed to calm him down a little bit. Lucas picked up his phone and dialed Brooke's cell number.

"It's been over ten minutes pretty girl." Lucas said to Brooke when she picked up on the other end.

"I know! This place is ridiculous! Remind me to never come here again. We might as well start shopping at WalMart again if this keeps up."

"Long line?"

"Long line, incompitent workers... _disgusting_ restrooms. Seriously, this place is just awful!"

"I'll take your word for it." Lucas chuckled.

"How's Noah? I don't hear any screaming."

"He's fine."

"How'd you calm him down?"

"I just put a little clove oil on my finger and rubbed his gums."

"Can you do that?"

"Well, yeah, it's not toxic, he'll be fine."

"How'd you know how to do that?"

"I do have an amazing mother you know."

"Yeah, and Noah has an amazing father." Brooke smiled. "I'll be home soon. Hopefully there's no traffic on the way, but with my luck, you never know."

"Okay, we'll see you when you get back then."

"Okay. Tell Noah I love him!" She said quickly.

"I will... Bye." Lucas smiled as he hung up the phone. He looked back at his son who was sitting in his feeding bouncer on the counter. "Mommy says hi. I think she's testing me to see how well we get along together... I think we're doing okay so far, don't you?" Noah giggled, letting Lucas know that they were doing okay. Lightning crashed outside, spooking both Noah and Lucas. "Guess it's gonna storm here pretty soon." Lucas said, seeing that it was starting to rain and that the clouds were getting dark. Lucas fed Noah his last spoonful of food and did a little cheer to let Noah know he did a good job. "You finished all your food buddy, I'm proud of you." Lucas smiled. "Mommy usually gives you a bath after you eat, doesn't she?" Noah looked at Lucas with a blank stare. "We can do without it." He said, picking up his son and walking into the living room.

Noah was surprisingly still calm, almost as if he wasn't teething anymore. To mellow him out more, Lucas tried his hand at the television. "Now, I know mommy doesn't want you watching tv yet... but what mommy doesn't know won't hurt her." Lucas said, grabbing the remote. He put Noah in his lap before he turned on the tv and flipped through a few channels. He stopped when he saw Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory was on. "Oh, I love this movie...!" Lucas whispered, amazed almost. It was right at the point of the movie where Gene Wilder sings _Pure Imagination_. Noah's eyes lit up as he looked at what was happening on the screen. Lucas started singing along quietly. "Hold your breath... Make a wish... Count to three... Come with me and you'll be in a world of pure imagination. Take a look and you'll see into your imagination. We'll begin with a spin, traveling in the world of my creation. What we'll see will defy explanation. If you want to view paradise simply look around and view it. Anything you want to, do it. Want to change the world? There's nothing to it. There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination. Living there, you'll be free if you truly wish to be. If you want to view paradise simply look around and view it. Anything you want to, do it. Want to change the world? There's nothing to it. There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination. Living there, you'll be free if you truly wish to be. "

Just as the song ended, the storm knocked the power out. As soon as the tv went off, Noah began kicking and screaming. Lucas stood up, holding his son close to him. "No, it's okay. It's okay bud, it's just a little storm. It's okay." Despite Lucas's comforting, Noah continued crying. "Ugh, I need to find a flashlight..." Lucas started looking around. "Okay, buddy, come with me... Come with me and you'll be in a world of pure imagination. Take a look and you'll see into your imagination. " Lucas stopped singing when he realized Noah had calmed down. "You like that don't you?" Lucas smiled. "Daddy doesn't make you cry any more, does he?" Noah held his son close, rocking him back and forth. "Daddy loves you so much, bud."

When Lucas finally found a flashlight, he turned it on and sat back down on the couch with his son. "Since we can't watch the rest of the movie, we might as well read a good book. Noah sat in Lucas' lap, and helped him hold the book upright. Lucas aimed the flashlight at the pages and started reading out loud. "_There is a place where the sidewalk ends and before the street begins. And there the grass grows soft and white, and there the sun burns crimson bright, and there the moon-bird rests from his flight to cool in the peppermint wind. Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black and the dark street winds and bends. Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow. We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow, and watch where the chalk-white arrows go to the place where the sidewalk ends. Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow, and we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go, for the children, they mark, and the children, they know... The place where the sidewalk ends." _Lucas looked over at Noah who was sitting up so peacefully with his pacifier in his mouth. "Did you like that? That's Shel Silverstein. He was one of my favorite authors as a kid. My mom used to read him to me all the time." Noah rested his head on his dad's arm and started fading in and out of sleep. Lucas smiled, and ran his fingers through his son's hair. It took him a minute, but he started to realize how dark Noah's hair was getting. Noah used to have hair so light it was almost a yellowish-ivory, but all of a sudden, he noticed how much more he started looking like Brooke instead of him. But before he could think about it any longer, Brooke finally walked in the door soaking wet. Lucas turned to Brooke and put his finger against his lips, letting her know she needed to be quiet.

"Sorry." She whispered. "Is he asleep?"

"Yeah."

"Well... look at you go." Brooke smiled. She closed the door and put her wet coat up. "Did you have fun?" She said, leaning over the couch, watching her son sleep.

"Yeah... we did." Lucas smiled. For the first time in his life, he finally felt like a father, even if there was a possibility he wasn't.

"Wow... I can't imagine how you got him to sleep."

"I did a few things with him. Sang a song... read him a book."

"Oh, never mind. I know exactly how he fell asleep." Brooke said, sitting on the couch.

"Ha ha, very funny. He seemed to like it."

"I'm sure he did. He is your son after all."

"Yeah... Hey listen, I wanna talk to you about something."

"Okay."

"It's kinda serious." He said, warning Brooke that what he was about to talk about was... well, serious.

"Serious, huh? Maybe I should put Noah in his crib and we should talk about it?" Lucas nodded. "Okay..." Brooke gently picked her son up and took him into the nursery, careful as to not wake him. She came back and went to sit down on the couch, but Lucas stopped her.

"We should probably talk about this in the bedroom... In case someone stops by..."

"Okay." Brooke nodded. She walked with Lucas into the bedroom and they both sat on the bed, close to one another. "All right, I'm all yours."

"Look, I know it's... I know it's only been two months but... you _are _doing okay, right?"

"Luke, I'm okay."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I promise." Brooke smiled.

"I just wanted to be sure because... we haven't really talked about it a lot."

"Well... there's never really a right time..."

"Because of Noah?"

"Well not just that... I mean, when was the last time we spent the day together with just the two of us?"

"It's been a while." Lucas agreed.

"Lucas, I love you... and I'd never try to push you out, you know that, right?" Lucas nodded.

"I just wish you would talk to me about it more, you know... not knowing how you're feeling worries me a little. And, don't get me wrong, I'm proud of you for opening up to the therapist but... now that you don't need to go anymore, I feel like you could still talk to _me _about stuff that's bothering you."

"I'm sorry."

"No, don't be sorry. I just... I just don't want us to keep things from each other."

Brooke frowned. "You wanna know everything?"

Lucas nodded. "You can tell me anything... total amnesty."

"Okay... I feel like we're drifting apart." Brooke revealed. "I don't know, maybe it's just me but... I don't think we're as close as we need to be. I mean, at this point in our relationship we should be totally blissed out on each other, and I feel like we're both just dealing with being parents and not being boyfriend and girlfriend. And it sucks when you're not around because sometimes I feel like a single mom."

"Oh, baby, no. I'm sorry. I don't ever want to make you feel like that."

"I just need you around more."

"I know... I know, and I'm sorry baby, I just... we're both dealing with a lot, you know?"

"Yeah... I know..."

"Do you wanna talk about that?"

"About what?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

"... If you're talking about Roe... I'd rather not." She sighed.

"Brooke-"

"No, I will... I will talk about it just... not yet."

"That's fair."

"... There is something else I wanna talk about though..."

"You can tell me."

"Total amnsety?" Lucas nodded. "Okay... Do you think it's possible for someone to love two people at once?" Lucas figured this would come up, he knew it would, but what was he supposed to say in that situation?

"It depends, I mean... love on what level?"

"See that's just the thing...!" Brooke sighed. "The therapist said I should talk to you about it, so I might as well just say it... Okay, please don't hate me for this but... I think I have feelings for Nathan." She said, abruptly, with her eyes closed, as to not see his face.

"What do you mean... feelings?"

"Just that... Oh, Luke, I'm not in love with him, trust me, but... You know that I haven't had a lot of love and encouragement as a kid, and you're the first person that's shown me what it's like... but when you're not around... Nathan _is _and... I don't know, sometimes I feel more like his girlfriend than yours."

"Wha...?"

"Like I said, I don't love him... but he makes me feel special, and... you don't do that anymore."

"... I don't... make you feel special?"

"Not like Nathan does." Brooke looked at Lucas' face and saw how heartbroken he was. "Oh, Luke..." She put her hands on the sides of his face. "God, I love you. You have to know that. I just... when you're not around, it hurts sometimes."

"I'm so sorry Brooke... I don't want you to feel like that."

"I know you don't, but... It just seems like you'd rather take the time to make Peyton feel special than me."

"Is that what this is about? ... Brooke, I love you. You mean the world to me... you have no idea. And... and I wanna be the one that makes you feel special, not Nathan. There's nothing going on with me and Peyton, I promise you."

"_Promise_, promise?"

"Cross my heart."

"You don't hate me?"

"Of course not! Now, what can I do to make you feel special again? I'll do anything. What's gonna make you happy?"

"Well..." Brooke thought about it for a moment. "Okay, there's this showcase called Rogue Vogue, it's for emerging fashion designers to show off all of their designs for major labels."

"Wow, that sounds pretty cool."

"Yeah, it is. And my mom signed me up-"

"Wait, how did your mom get your designs?" Lucas chuckled.

"Well, Nathan got them and gave them to her... back when I was..." Lucas nodded, letting her know he knew what she was trying to say. "Anyway, they picked my designs, and they want me to go."

"You should." Lucas smiled. "This sounds like a big deal."

"It is, and I really wanna go, but-"

"No. No 'buts'. You need to go. If it'll make you feel special again, you need to do it. You deserve to feel that way again."

"Luke, it's in New York, I can't just pick up and leave. Especially not with Noah."

"Then leave him here."

"What?"

"I'll take care of him."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Didn't you just see how I did with him today?"

"Well, Luke, I left him with you for a couple of hours. We're talking about a whole two weeks here!"

"We'll be fine."

"What if he gets sick?"

"I'll take him to the doctor."

"What if he has another night terror?"

"I'll hold him, and try to calm him down."

"Well, what if-"

"Hey, Brooke, stop." Lucas chuckled. "I've got it... We'll be okay. Look, I know you want to spend every minute with him, but I'm not gonna let you down, I promise. You said it yourself, we're looked at as Noah's parents and not as indivduals. Go to New York... work on finding yourself, come back to us, and I'll do the same. We can't work on each other until we work on ourselves. It's your turn to do something for you for once Brooke. Don't let this opportunity pass by you. And I haven't left you with any excuses, so you might as well just go. Okay? Say yes. Come on. Say it. Say yes. Say-"

"Yes!" Brooke laughed. "Okay, I'll go! Oh, Lucas Scott, you really are something." Brooke said, smitten with him.

"So are you. Brooke Davis is gonna change the world someday... and I hope someday she knows it." Brooke smiled wide and leaned in to kiss him. Before they knew it, the kissing started to esclate. Brooke laid down on the bed with Lucas and started unbuttoning his shirt. Lucas pulled away gently. "Wait... I thought you wanted us to wait."

"I did... But I think we've waited long enough." She smiled. "I'm not doing this for me, I'm doing it for us. I think we're ready to open up again."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes... Luke, if there's one thing I know... it's that giving myself to you again will be the easiest thing I'll ever do."

Lucas smiled wide. "I love you, Brooke Davis."

"I love you too." She smiled back.

It was late, late, late at night when Lucas and Brooke finally laid still together. "Are you okay?" Lucas asked, kissing her head.

"Yeah... Yeah, I'm great." She smiled. "I'm glad we did this."

"Me too." Lucas sighed. Silence filled the room again before Lucas started talking. "Do you ever think about having another baby?"

"What brought that up?" Brooke chuckled.

"Well, that's the reason we decided to wait. You know, we didn't want to have to go through that again. But I mean... is that not an issue anymore?"

"It's not that I didn't want to get pregnant again, I just... I wasn't ready to do 'just sex' with you... I wanted it to be different. But yeah, I don't know... maybe when we're older... I could see us having another baby in the future."

"So there's a future with us?" Lucas smirked.

"I don't know..." Brooke blushed. "Yeah, I hope so."

"Good... I like being a dad... I made Noah stop crying today. That's a first! He always cries when I hold him."

"You know he loves you Luke... he just needed some time."

"Yeah... well, now that I can hold him without him screaming, it's kinda nice being a dad."

"Glad to know you're on board." Brooke laughed. "You're a great dad... You take good care of our son."

"_Our_ son..." Lucas whispered. He couldn't stop thinking abou it. What if Noah wasn't his? Just thinking about it made him physically sick to his stomach. He didn't want it to be true, but he had to know if it was.

"I know, I like saying it too." Brooke giggled. Just as silence started to fill the room again, Noah started crying from in his room. "Oh... parenthood calls." Brooke said, getting up to get her son.

Lucas got up quickly. "Let me get it."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Lucas smiled. "He's my son too..."

Brooke smiled and sat back down. "Okay..." Lucas walked out of the room and pulled his son out of his crib.

"Hey buddy, it's okay. Daddy's here... Daddy's got you..." As soon as Lucas picked him up, Noah stopped crying. He couldn't believe it. Just as Lucas started feeling guilty about the things he did, good things started to happen to him... and he had never felt worse in his life. He didn't think he deserved all that, and that's what killed him inside. He couldn't bear to tell Brooke the truth now.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Hmm... drama at this point in the story? Yeah. Yeah, I did it, so what? Haha, I hope you found a lot of scenes in here that made you feel better about all the BS this story might've put you through. Take the time to review. The next chapter will be your last chance to do so. See you Sunday!<strong>


	29. 10 months

**Author's Note: I can't bear to do this... Truth be told, this chapter has been finished for weeks. I made a few changes to it, but... I just wasn't ready for this to end, so I waited as long as I could to post this. I have to say this before I don't get the chance to... You guys have, honestly, made a huge impact in my life. This story has taught me to open up when the world doesn't allow me to do so. I know it's strange to think a story could change my life, but it did. When I started getting feedback on this story, I started doing better in school, I was more confident in myself as a person and as a writer, and I was able to express my own personal crap through this story. I don't know how many of you knew that, but a lot of this story was my life sprawled out on a page. Obviously there were a lot of differences, but you get the idea. I have been so blessed to have been able to sit behind this keyboard and write as these characters twenty-three times, and it's nice to know that soon I'll be coming back to do it all over again in what may seem to be another world four years later. My life has changed tremendously since I have started this story, and this is the first time I've accomplished something that was gave me merit. So, I humbly thank you for that. Every single one of you. It is with a very heavy heart that I say goodbye to this story. With that being said, let me get back to my last review responses... Thank you paigematthewsfan21, Tutourgirl23, GHJaSam4Ever, darktwistygirl, Bpds89, fireangel08, craxygirl54, dianehermans, Ace5492, XHush-HushX, LovelyLily07, Isabel camilla Scott, Lizzy, Isabel camilla Scott, Cee-J, and babyblues02. You are all so amazing...  
><strong>

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**Tutourgirl23: Thank you very much, Bryanna. Those words mean everything to me. You are a huge part of the reason I was able to finish this. Thank you for all of your wonderful advice. Every bit really helped. Thank you for being an avid reader and a good friend. I don't know how to thank you.**

**GHJaSam4Ever: That's up to you to decide. I'm not entirely sure that I'm going to make them do a paternity test, but I know the answer. The question is, do all of you?**

**darktwistygirl: He won't need to. This chapter is all about Lucas's undoing.**

**Bpds89: Thank you for all the reviews. If I'm not mistaken you are one of the few that have been here since the beginning, and that means the world to me. Your reviews have been a joy to read. Thank you. **

**fireangel08: It has indeed been a month. It has definitely been both scary and sad for me to end this story. Glad I'm not the only one who thinks so.**

**craxygirl54: Don't ever worry about long reviews. I treasure them! The longer the better. (Remember that as you review the final chapter. lol)**

**dianehermans: Well, then the sequel is for people just like you. I swear to you that every instant of the sequel will be pro Lucas. :)**

**XHush-HushX: I'm glad the idea of it was enough for you. I hated writing it out, but still. :S**

**LovelyLily07: Exactly. ;)**

**I cannot thank you all enough... seriously, this is just the greatest experience I've had. I want to thank my old, old readers and my new readers as well. Every one of you now has a place in my heart, because you have been able to trust me with the characters you have come to know and love. I hope I've done you all proud. With that being said... (OH! WARNING! WARNING! Vulgar, yet appropriate language in this chapter! WARNING!) I hope you all enjoy this final chapter of "Something's Gotta Give". I hope to see you soon...**

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><p>Brooke sat on the couch in her robe with her nearly year-old baby in her lap. "Where is mommy's... nose?" She asked Noah, putting her finger on his nose. He looked up at his mom and touched his finger to her face, barely touching her nose. "Good job buddy!" She said, making him clap. "Where is mommy's... tummy?" He took his hand and started hitting it against Brooke's stomach. "Yeah, that's it! Good job!" Lucas came out of their bedroom with his backpack slung over his shoulder.<p>

"All right, I'm going to school." He leaned over the couch and kissed Brooke on the forehead. "Bye pretty girl."

"Bye."

"Bye Noah." Noah started waving and gurgling as Lucas started walking away.

"Hey, babe, don't forget, Rogue Vogue is tomorrow and I need you here by seven so I can catch my flight to be on time for registration, okay?"

"I got it, don't worry." Lucas smiled.

"Okay... Because I need you here to take Noah for me."

"I know, Brooke... I've got it." He chuckled.

"All right, I trust you." Brooke smiled. "Say bye to daddy, button. Can you say bye?" She said, making him wave. "No? Can you say dada? Da...da?" Brooke looked back over at Lucas. "Nothin'." Lucas chuckled.

"I'll be back."

"We'll be here." She smiled as he walked out the door. She looked back over at her son. "How 'bout mama? Can you say mama?"

;

;

;

Lucas looked at his watch as he walked into the doors of the hospital. It was nearly five thirty. He had a bag in his hand as he walked toward the hospital room he was so familiar with. He walked up to Peyton and handed her the bag. "Chicken soup. Thought you might be hungry."

"Thanks." She said, taking the bag from him. "Luke, you know you don't have to be here all the time for me."

"Stop, okay, I know. But you need _someone _to be there for you."

"I'm a big girl, Luke. I can handle this myself."

"No you can't. You just think you can... And that's what's so great about you." Lucas smiled.

"Thanks." Peyton smiled. "But don't you have somewhere to be today?"

"There's nothing that's more important to me right now."

;

;

;

Brooke looked at her phone, noting the time. It was twenty minutes after seven and Lucas was nowhere around. She dialed his number and waited for him to answer. Of course, she got his voicemail though. "Hey, Luke, it's me. Just, uh, trying to find out where you are. You're running a little late, and I need to get going soon... Just call me back when you get this, okay? Bye." Brooke hung up the phone and looked at her son who was sitting in his crib. "Your daddy was supposed to be here by now to take care of you for me. But I guess it's okay, because now I have more time to spend with you before I leave." She picked up ehr son and held him close. "You know mommy's not leaving forever, right? I'm always gonna be here for you." Brooke heard a knock at the door and went to the living room to open it. She was surprised when she saw Haley standing in the doorway. "Haley, hi! What brings you by?"

Haley looked at Brooke seriously. "We need to talk, Brooke."

"What's going on?"

"... You should sit..."

;

;

;

Nathan entered Brooke's apartment and saw her on the couch with tears in her eyes. "Hey..." He whispered, closing the door.

"Eight fifteen..." Brooke said looking at the clock. "There's no way I'm gonna make it to the showcase now."

"Yeah, sorry about that. You could've called me to watch Noah, you know..." He said, sitting on the couch next to her.

"No, Lucas needed to be the one to do it... He's his father for God's sake..." Brooke sighed, frustrated.

"... Haley told me that she told you everything... I'm sorry."

"You knew about it?" She asked, referring to the kiss between Lucas and Peyton.

"Yeah..."

"Why didn't you tell me? It's been months...!"

"Haley didn't want me to... but for the record, I did tell Lucas that he needed to tell you the truth. Guess he didn't jump on the opportunity."

"Great, so now everyone's lied to me."

"For good cause, Brooke. I'm sorry."

"Well, maybe you do it for good cause but... Lucas cheated me _again_... with Peyton... _AGAIN_."

"Maybe Lucas isn't the right one for you then..."

"That's the problem though... He is... He's just... I don't know, maybe I'm not right for him."

"Don't do that, Brooke. Don't put yourself down like that. You are deserving, okay? You gotta know that... okay?"

Brooke nodded with a tear falling down her cheek. "Okay..." She whispered. Brooke put her hand on Nathan's leg. "Can you stay here with me until Lucas shows up?" She said, her voice breaking. "I need to think of what to say to him..."

Nathan put his hand on Brooke's to support her. "I'll stay as long as you need." He whispered.

"Thank you." She said, wiping a few tears from her face.

;

;

;

Brooke laid on the couch with Noah on her belly. Nathan sat in a chair nearby. Brooke had been waiting for over two hours for Lucas and there was no way she could make it to the showcase in time.

"I wish you would've called me earlier, Brooke. I would've watched him for you."

"No, Nathan. I can't always count on you to help me raise Noah... You've got your own family now. Plus, I didn't count on Lucas flaking on his family..."

"I'm gonna straigten that bastard out..."

"Don't bother Nate... Besides... I don't know that he's worth it anymore..." Brooke watched the door, waiting for it to open and see Lucas step inside. She wasn't sure she was willing to wait on him much longer. When the doorknob turned, Brooke and Nathan both stood up. Brooke stared dead ahead when she saw Lucas tip toe in. "Nate, can you take Noah into the bedroom for me please?" She asked, handing her nearly year-old baby to him. Nathan could easily see that something serious was about to happen so he did as he was asked,

"S-sure..." Nathan took Noah in his arms and carried him into the bedroom, closing the door. Lucas stood by the door, realizing he was in the line of fire.

"Brooke, let me explain-" Lucas said, putting up his hands.

"No... You let _me _talk." She said sternly. Lucas was taken aback by her anger a little. "I told you I needed you here by seven so that I could make it to the airport in time to catch my flight."

"I know-"

"This showcase was really important to me, and I was counting on you to be here." She said, with anger rising in her voice.

"I know-"

"Why weren't you here?" She asked, through clenched teeth..

"I forgot. I'm sorry." He said, hanging his head.

"You... _forgot_... Of course..."

"Brooke, I'm sorry. Don't be mad."

"I'm not mad, Luke... I am... _beyond _mad at this point. I... am _livid_. Lucas, I was finally given the chance to do something for me after all of the bullshit that I've gone through this year, and now I won't be able to do that. This was my one shot to do something great, Lucas! And you... _blew_ it for me!"

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well that's not enough! I called you a billion times... Why didn't you answer your phone?"

"It was off."

"It was off... Okay..." Brooke grabbed Lucas' cellphone out of his hand. "... see, here's what I think about your STUPID... FUCKING... PHONE!" She threw his phone against the wall and watched it shatter into several pieces. Silence fell throughout the apartment. Lucas didn't have anything to say to Brooke. "WHY DO YOU EVEN HAVE THE DAMN THING IF YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO USE IT?" Brooke took a minute to cool down before saying anything to Lucas. And Lucas definitely wasn't ready to start talking to her yet. "Why is that you're never here when I need you?"

"What do you mean? I'm here all the time."

"No you're not. And that's not what I'm talking about. I mean, why are you never _with me_ when I need you?"

"Brooke, I don't know what to say to that..."

"Well, any answer would work, Lucas. At this point, you can make up just about any excuse, and I'd believe it. Almost every moment that I count on you to be there with me, you never are. When I was in labor... you were with Peyton. When Noah got sick and I had to rush him to the hospital, you were with Peyton. Hell, when Haley went into labor, you were with Peyton. And when I needed you to be here, so that I could do something for me, you... were... with..."

"Peyton! I get it Brooke, I get it!"

"So, why then? If you love Peyton more than me, just say it!"

"That's not it, Brooke! I love you!"

"Do you? Lucas, I can't believe anything you say any more because it's always a lie! When the hell are you gonna start telling the truth?"

"Brooke-"

"No, don't bother. Okay, I've heard it all already. Peyton told me everything."

"When'd you talk to Peyton?"

"Does that matter? She told me all about you working with Dan... how she was paying our rent... Why would you keep that from me?"

"I was trying to protect you Brooke. I was doing what was best for our family!"

"Oh! All of a sudden it's _our_ family? Lucas, I haven't seen you do _anything_ for _this family_!"

"Don't do that, Brooke."

"What?"

"Don't belittle me okay? I'm doing what's best for my son. I'm his father!" He said, strongly.

"Are you? Lucas, he cries every time you hold him! I don't care if he's your son genetically, you're not his father... ! You're a stranger to him! And I don't _need_ protecting Lucas! Okay, I can get a job myself, and take care of our family! If you wanted to get a job, you didn't have to lie about it! You think you were stepping up? You were pushing back."

"No I wasn't."

"Yes, you were!... Where were you just now?... Were you really with Peyton?"

"Brooke-"

"Just answer the question Lucas!"

"YES! Yes, I was with Peyton!"

"Why?"

"Because Larry has cancer!" He yelled. Brooke was stunned. "He's really sick, and I've been there for Peyton while she's been hurting okay? That's all that happened between me and Peyton!"

"And what about the kiss, Luke? Haley told me she saw you two kissing in the hospital."

"Haley told you? Why?"

"Why didn't you?

"Oh, my god! It was one kiss, Brooke! She was hysterical! And I didn't kiss her, she kissed me. I was just trying to be a good friend for her."

"So you can be there for Peyton when she's hurting, but you can't be there for me?"

"Brooke, how in the hell am I supposed to know when you're hurting? You never talk to me anymore!"

"That's because you're never around! Was this all just a lie? Did you just get back together with me so you could sleep with me again?"

"Brooke, it wasn't about that."

"Really? I gave myself to you because I knew I was in love with you. I wanted to start again with you. When we slept together the last time... It was like my first time. And technically it was... It was my first time really falling in love. You know, that's what my first time should've been like. It should've been... magical, and uplifiting and it should've been with you... But _you_ give yourself to other girls like I don't mean anything to you anymore."

"You do!"

"Really? And does Peyton mean something to you?"

"Peyton's my friend; you know that."

"... It's more than that. You love her Lucas." Brooke said, shaking her head. "I know you do... and it's okay."

"Brooke, I love _you._"

"And that's a problem... Because you can't be in love with us both. I can't be Peyton for you."

"I don't want you to be."

"Well... I can't be whatever it is you want me to be other than the person I've been. I'm not changing, Lucas... And I can't make you change either... And I'm done sharing you with Peyton."

"So, you're pissed at me because I was comforting a friend? Brooke, her dad has cancer!"

"Lucas, it doesn't have anything to do with WHAT you were doing with Peyton! You lied to me AGAIN!"

"Kinda like you lied to me?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I had a little conversation with Colton Peters the other day. Told me that you slept with him over the summer... You know, around nine months before Noah was born!"

"What? What are you trying to say Lucas?"

"Colton said you slept with him after we broke up."

"You don't even know they guy! You're just gonna believe him?"

"So, you're telling me you didn't sleep with some other guy after we broke up?" Brooke didn't answer. "Wow... okay, this is... unbelievable."

"Lucas, you're being ridiculous! That doesn't matter! Noah is your son!"

"Just answer the question Brooke! Did you sleep with Colton?"

"...Yes." She revealed.

"Oh my god... Are you telling me that I've been sticking around this whole time, and he may not even be my son?"

"First of all, I told you a thousand times, that he is your son. Secondly, we both agreed that the reason we got back together had nothing to do with Noah. We said it was because we loved each other. Because I loved you and you loved me, and apparently, that isn't enough for you!"

"No, it's not about that Brooke! You lied to me!"

"Lied to you? Are you _kidding _me? YOU are the one that cheated on ME... TWICE! And guess who forgave you? ME! What I did with Colton was no different from what you did with Nikki! We weren't together!"

"It's not the same, Brooke... You slept with that guy to get back at me!"

"Yeah, for cheating on me with Peyton! You didn't sleep with Nikki to get back at _me_?"

"I made a mistake, Brooke. I made ONE mistake!"

"You are... unbelievable..." Brooks said frustrated. "... What I did was a mistake. I slept with that guy because I was hurt, I was lost, and I needed someone to tell me that everything was going to be okay. Even if it was a lie, it was nice to hear it for a night, you know? But even though we weren't together, after I did it, I felt terrible... because I still loved you. But it was so meaningless that I forgot about it until you brought it back up. But I was faithful to you Lucas. I'M the one that made a mistake. You made A MILLION mistakes... And I'm done forgiving you. 'Fool me once, fool me twice', right? What about 'fool me a thousand times'? You've lost the opportunity for that second chance, and that third chance, and the fourth and the fifth. I don't have any more love to give you Lucas! And I don't know what else you want from me! This whole time I've been thinking that I'm not able to grow up, take care of myself, or take care of my child. I kept thinking that the reason I hated my life, was because of me... It had nothing to do with me. It was you this whole time... You never wanted to help me... you never cared, did you?"

"Of course I did." He said, realizing he was losing the fight now.

"Really? None of this was about you? You were working with Dan at the dealership because you needed to pay our rent, right? Because you couldn't get a job yourself, and you were too prideful to ask Karen for help? Oh, that's right because getting a job or asking Karen to pay for our rent would stop you from going to college. And you couldn't tell me the truth so you had to have Peyton be your sugar mama. The last thing you would do is tell me the truth, just in case I decided to get a job myself to help support our family. And God forbid I find out about your HCM because it would cause all kinds of stress on me, right? You've been looking out for me this whole time. It makes all the sense in the world!"

"You don't have to be sarcastic about it."

"No? Lucas, I understand that you were worried and you had concerns, but didn't it occur to you AT ALL, that you should tell me the truth? I can't do anything on my end to make this work, Lucas..." She looked at him with cold eyes, trying to understand him. "Something's gotta give, Luke... it has to." Lucas didn't say anything for a long time and neither could Brooke. She really didn't have anything left to say anymore. "I can't do this anymore Lucas." She said looking him in the eyes.

"What?"

"I said, I can't do this. Whatever _this _is... I can't keep doing it with you. This isn't... It's not working."

"No, no, no, Brooke... We can _make_ this work." He said frantically.

"I don't want to... And most of all... I'm not going to. I'm done trying to make this work. I don't have any energy _left _to make this work." Brooke grabbed her coat, and headed for the front door. Lucas ran to stop her.

"No, no, Brooke...! You can't do this to me..." He said, holding onto her.

"I'm not doing anything to you Luke." She turned around with tears in her eyes. "You have to understand... that I did everything I could to make this relationship work... and it wasn't enough." A single tear fell down her cheek. Instead of pulling away from Lucas to leave, she gave him the opportunity to realize there was nothing left to fight for. He slowly let go of her, letting a tear fall down himself.

"Brooke... I love you..." He whispered.

"I know you do... But you still need to find out that love isn't enough sometimes... It's about acting on it... And I haven't seen you do that yet. I'm sorry." Lucas couldn't help but cry. He didn't want to cry at all, especially not in front of Brooke, but he couldn't help it. Brooke put her coat on and went to get Noah from the nursery. Before she could make her way down the hallway, she stopped. "I think it's best if we both go Lucas..." Lucas nodded his head. He knew it was best not to fight anymore.

"Where are you gonna stay?" He whispered.

"I don't know... I'm gonna take Noah to a hotel... maybe stay with my mom for a few weeks..." Brooke turned back around. "But you should go back to living with Karen... finish school... go to college. Go do something great." Brooke wiped a tear from her face. "Lucas Scott is gonna change the world someday... and he doesn't even know it yet..." Brooke couldn't bear to look away from Lucas, knowing it would be the last time she would ever see him. "You should go..." She whispered.

"I can't..." Lucas said, his voice breaking.

"I know..." Brooke said, with red eyes. "But you have to... We both do." Brooke walked into the nursery, leaving Lucas behind. He realized there was no point in staying, so he took one last look at the apartment, and then left.

Nathan leaned over Noah's crib, holding his hand. Noah placed his hand on the gate of the crib, trying to keep his balance as he stood up. Noah looked up at Nathan with a big glimmer in his eyes. Nathan didn't know what to do in this situation. "Hey buddy. I know that your mommy and daddy have been going through some stuff, but... they're gonna do right by you no matter what. They love you... you need to know that. And you need to know that there are so many people that would do anything for you... okay?" Noah looked up at Nathan, wanting to answer him, but not knowing how. Nathan picked up Noah and held him close. "It's all gonna work out..." Nathan said, giving Noah a gentle kiss on the head. Brooke walked in just then with teary eyes. "Hey." He whispered, seeing her distraught.

"I'm sorry about that..." Brooke said, wiping her tears away.

"No, it's okay... Is everything going to be okay with you guys, though?"

"No, I don't think so. I'm, uh... I'm actually leaving. I'm taking Noah with me."

"You're... You're leaving?"

"Yeah... this just is working anymore..."

"I'm sorry."

"Me too."

Noah looked up at Nathan and smiled. "Da..." He cooed, reaching up for his uncle. Nathan couldn't help but smile. "Dada."

Nathan's smile dropped so quickly. He looked over at Brooke stunned, and so was she. What were they supposed to feel in that moment? "Brooke... I-"

"No, it's okay..." Brooke nodded. "It's okay." She whispered. She grabbed Noah from Nathan's arms and picked up a bag. She looked back at her friend and tried her best not to cry. "I don't wanna go."

"I know... But... I also understand that... this is what you have to do."

Brooke started to cry. "Thank you Nathan... and tell Haley I said the same. You guys are great parents... thank you for everything you've done for me... I'm never gonna forget that."

"I know." Nathan said, holding back tears himself. He put his arms around Brooke and held her tight. "Go be amazing Brooke Davis. You deserve it." Brooke pulled away from Nathan and smiled.

She didn't want to leave Tree Hill, but she knew that it was something she really needed- for herself and for her son. So she left. Without another word, Brooke Davis was gone. She never wrote, she never called. No one had heard from Brooke Davis in a long time. Where had she gone? What was she doing? How was she doing? Was she ever going to come back? What was going to become of what Brooke Davis and Lucas Scott used to be?

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: I'm so sorry for doing all of that to you. Yes, they're broken up. Yes, Brooke left town with baby Noah. But listen to me... You have all given me the benefit of the doubt, and that means so much to me. I am NOT going to take that for granted. You will all get your happy ending in the sequel; I PROMISE YOU! But, I feel that this had to happen to push the story along. Please continue to trust me into the sequel. It is going to be a while before you see something new from me, and for that, I apologize. However, I don't want to stop hearing from you all. Hell, I don't know if any of you care to get to know me after this, but I would love to be close with each and every one of you. If you don't already have it, here is my Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook: twitter OTHislove23, youtube usernewlybrokenroad, facebook NewlyBrokenRoad. You are more than welcome to add me on FaceBook, follow me on Twitter, or subscribe to me on YouTube. In fact, I would be honored. I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to all of you yet. So, when you review, try to think about this story as a whole. I'd like to know if maybe this story did anything for you at all. Also, if you have ANY questions about the sequel, feel free to ask. I'll be responding to all the reviews from this chapter in the first chapter of my sequel. I am going to miss you all. You were the best part of my day, and it is going to suck to go through the day without it. I hope to see all of you regulars when I come back with "The Other Side Of This Life". Goodbye for now...!**


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